Current News Analysis 17-10-2016 A. GS1 Related B. GS2 Related 1. Ravi Shankaƌ Pƌasad says Centƌe’s stand on tƌiple talaƋ based on gendeƌ justice http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/law-minister-ravi-shankar-prasad- interview-on-triple-talaq-uniform-civil-code/article9227035.ece Category: Religious laws Topic: Triple Talaq - UCC Key Points: Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said the Centre’s affidavit on the triple talaq issue, which is being heard in the Supreme Court, was based on the principles of assuring gender justice, gender equality and dignity - flowing directly from the fundamental values of Indian Constitution. He stressed that the right to freedom of religion did not enjoin every pernicious practice as being integral to it. The minister further said the Law Commission’s wider consultation on the question of a uniform civil code was separate from the triple talaq issue. Certain victims of triple talaq from the Muslim community approached the Supreme Court challenging its validity. The court had asked for a response from the government for which the centre has responded. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board asserted that the centre was intent on interfering with Islam rather than any other minority community, including the Jains, in terms of religious practice.
Transcript
Current News Analysis
17-10-2016
A. GS1 Related
B. GS2 Related
1. Ravi Shanka P asad says Cent e’s stand on t iple tala based on gende justice
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said the Centre’s affidavit on the triple talaq issue, which is being heard in the Supreme Court, was based on the
principles of assuring gender justice, gender equality and dignity - flowing directly
from the fundamental values of Indian Constitution. He stressed that the right to
freedom of religion did not enjoin every pernicious practice as being integral to it.
The minister further said the Law Commission’s wider consultation on the question of a uniform civil code was separate from the triple talaq issue.
Certain victims of triple talaq from the Muslim community approached the Supreme
Court challenging its validity. The court had asked for a response from the
government for which the centre has responded.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board asserted that the centre was intent on
interfering with Islam rather than any other minority community, including the Jains,
The 8th BRICS summit ended with the adoption of the Goa Declaration which
pledged opposition to terrorism. However, India could not succeed to get a consensus
on references to cross-border terror and Pakistan-based terror groups in the final
statement. The declaration did not name any country specifically as the source of
cross-border terrorism. It called for all nations to counter radicalism, and block
sources of financing international terrorism, including through organised crime by
means of money-laundering, drug trafficking, criminal activities, dismantling terrorist
bases and countering misuse of the Internet including social media by terror entities
through misuse of the latest Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).
Reflecting international concern, the Goa Declaration pointed out the need for
countering the Islamic State which has occupied territories in Iraq, Syria, and Libya
and called for a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) in
the U.N. General Assembly. It further called for a resolution of the civil war in Syria,
in accordance with the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria and sought action
against U.N.-designated terrorist groups like IS and Jabhat al-Nusra.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The most serious direct threat to our economic prosperity is terrorism. Tragically, its mother-ship is a country in India’s neighbourhood.” India did get the diplomatic edge it wanted in this direction from the
summit.
India, Nepal, China trilateral meeting on the sidelines on BRICS summit –
An unusual, unscheduled trilateral meeting took place among the 3 nations. It
highlighted the significance of Nepal in India’s ties with China.
Chairman of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money, Justice M.B.
Shah has recommended that money laundering investigations by the Enforcement
Directorate (ED) should be allowed without any dependence on registration of cases
by other agencies.
Present situation - Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at present
provides that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) can pursue only those cases which
have been registered by agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), State
police units and the Income-Tax Department, under provisions pertaining to the
offences listed in the Act.
CBDT plea rejected - The CBI in 2015 had sought statutory powers to carry out
money laundering investigations. However, the proposal was turned down by the
government. In the past, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the Central
Board of Direct Taxes have also made such demands.
Based on the SIT’s recommendations - the Central government had earlier brought in some crucial amendments to the PMLA, apart from the Income-Tax Act and the Foreign Exchange Management Act, to strengthen the legal framework for effective action against those holding unaccounted income.
Latest amendment to the PMLA empowers the ED to continue with the money laundering investigations even if the police case is closed in the court. The Directorate can still pursue the probe into a financial angle and file a separate charge sheet.
India hosted leaders of the five-nation BRICS as well as the seven-nation BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation), which together represent two-thirds of humanity and more than a quarter of the world’s growth
While BIMSTEC has geographical moorings, BRICS is a unique organisation of countries that came together in 2006 not because of geography, history or wealth, but because of their promise as key “emerging economies”
It is, therefore, unfortunate that the outcome of the BRICS summit and the outreach to BIMSTEC countries has been popularly condensed into what they had to say on a single issue: terrorism, with only a few paragraphs out of the 109-para Goa Declaration dominating the discourse
New Delhi would have done better to bring the spotlight in Goa back to its own declared goals of building economies and bringing prosperity in the region
The issue described as ‘triple talaq’ has unnecessarily been confused with the issue of a uniform civil code, thus thrusting India’s minority Muslim community into the defensive
But this dilemma is essentially a question of whether the Supreme Court can pronounce on an issue of personal law
The Shah Bano case
The last time that Supreme Court sought to rule in a matter concerning personal law was in 1985 resulting in what has come to be known as the Shah Bano amendment
There was no doubt, held the apex court, that the Koran imposes an obligation on the Muslim husband to make provision for or to provide maintenance to the divorced wife
Besides, Section 125 of the CrPC applies to all regardless of caste or creed. So Shah Bano had the right to be given maintenance money, similar to alimony
The court also went on to discuss the desirability of bringing a uniform civil code in India, holding that a common civil code would help the cause of national integration by removing disparate loyalties to laws which have conflicting ideologies
This judgment was vigorously criticised by the Muslim clergy
A setback for Muslim women
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act was adopted in May 1986 and
nullified the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Shah Bano case
The Statement of Objects and Reasons of this Act clarifies that when a Muslim divorced woman is unable to support herself after the iddat period that she must observe after the death of her spouse or after a divorce, during which she may not marry another man, the magistrate is empowered to make an order for the payment of maintenance by her relatives who would be entitled to inherit her property on her death according to Muslim law
But when a divorced woman has no such relatives, and does not have enough means to pay the maintenance, the magistrate would order the State Wakf Board to pay the maintenance
The ‘liability’ of the husband to pay maintenance was thus restricted to the period of the iddat only
Conclusion
In today’s vitiated communal environment it would be best if the apex court were to take on the responsibility of interpreting the law in light of the widely excoriated practice of triple talaq, which in the view of many practising Muslims is not the law
With India announcing that all five BRICS member states are united in acknowledging the global threat posed by terrorism, and that those who support terror are as much a threat to us than those who perpetrate acts of terror, the eighth BRICS summit came to an end on Sunday in Goa. The BRICS agenda moved forward a bit with the BRICS leaders united in their “view to establish the BRICS Agriculture Research Platform, BRICS Railway Research Network, BRICS Sports Council, and various youth-centric fora” and agreeing “to fast track the setting up of a BRICS Rating Agency” based on market-oriented principles to “further bridge the gap in the global financial architecture.”
Focus on terrorism The Prime Minister’s focus, by and large, remained on the issue of terrorism. In more ways
than one, he made it plain to his BRICS partners that this is an issue on which India feels
rather strongly and that “BRICS needs to work together and act decisively to combat this threat.”
This message was primarily aimed at China, a country with which India has had differences on the issue of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism against India
China had recently put a technical hold once again at the United Nations and prevented Azhar from being designated a global terrorist, despite JeM being a UN-proscribed terror group
The other change that India introduced to the BRICS agenda was also significant as it underscored India’s changing priorities. India used the summit to reach out to its neighbours by initiating the BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach
Founded in 1997, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) now includes Nepal and Bhutan apart from Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand
Set up with the objective of enhancing technological and economic cooperation among South Asian and South-east Asian countries along the coast of the Bay of Bengal, it has been neglected so far by its members
Bilateral ties with Russia Finally, India used the Goa summit to re-galvanise its long-standing partnership with Russia,
which was in danger of losing direction
Russia’s decision to hold military exercises with Pakistan did not go down well with India at a time when it was seeking to diplomatically isolate Pakistan after the Uri terror attacks
Russia, for its part, has been concerned about India’s tilt towards the U.S. In Goa, the two states reaffirmed the strategic nature of their friendship once again
India signed three major deals worth billions of dollars with Russia: five S-400 Triumf air defence systems, four stealth frigates, and a joint venture to manufacture Kamov-226T utility helicopters in India
Recognising the limits of the BRICS mandate at a time of slowing economies and growing intra-BRICS political divergences, India has tried to reimagine the multilateral forum to serve its larger strategic ends.
4. Mean Machines
Category: International Relations Topic: India-Russia
India has quietly completed its nuclear triad by inducting the indigenously built strategic nuclear submarine INS Arihant into service
INS which stands for ‘Indian Naval Ship’ is affixed to a ship only after it is inducted into service No-first-use doctrine
Arihant is capable of carrying nuclear tipped ballistic missiles, the class referred to as Ship
Submersible Ballistic Nuclear (SSBN). SSBNs are designed to prowl the deep ocean waters carrying nuclear weapons and provide a nation with an assured second strike capability — the capability to strike back after being hit by nuclear weapons first.
Second strike capability is particularly important for India as it had committed to a ‘No-First-Use’ policy as part of its nuclear doctrine
With this India joins the select group of countries which have a nuclear triad, i.e. capable of delivering nuclear weapons by aircraft, ballistic missiles and submarine launched missiles
On October 15, at the Rwandan capital of Kigali, 197 countries arrived at an accord to phase out a planet-warming chemical used in air conditioners and refrigerators
The agreement amends the Montreal Protocol of 1989 to allow it to eliminate HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons)
These gases comprise a small part of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere and do not harm the ozone layer
But their heat-trapping capacity is more than a thousand times that of carbon dioxide, making HFCs far more destructive to the climate than the more well-known GHG
The Kigali accord divides the world into three groups
The richest countries, including the US and European Union nations, will freeze the production and consumption of HFCs by 2018 and reduce their use to about 15 per cent of 2012 levels by 2036
A group of developing countries, including China, Brazil and South Africa, are mandated to freeze HFC use by 2024 and reduce it to 20 per cent of their average value in 2020-22 by 2045
India, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and oil economies like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait will have the most lenient schedule
They will freeze HFC use by 2028 and reduce it to about 15 per cent of 2025 levels by 2047
This phase-out will avert the equivalent of about 70 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by 2050
In 2011, the EU banned the use of HFCs in cars and is phasing out the chemical in other industries
Industries in the US have started replacing CFCs with climate-friendly refrigerants
2] The words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ were added to the preamble by:
a. 42nd amendment
b. 44th amendment
c. 46th amendment
d. 41st amendment
Ans(a)
Date: 18 October, 2016 Category: International Relations Topic: Regional groupings Source: Hindu Difficulty level: Easy Type: Factual
3] Which of the following statement/s is are true?
i. BRICS includes India, Brazil and South Africa only
ii. Ufa, Fortaleza and Goa are declarations of the BRICS summits
a. Only 1 b. Only 2 c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2
Ans(b)
Date: 18 October, 2016 Category: Indian Economy Topic: Taxes Source: The Hindu Difficulty level: Easy Type: Factual
4] Which of the following is true?
i. GST will result in the mitigation of double taxation ii. For consumers, it will result in uniform prices throughout the country
a. Only 1 b. Only 2 c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2
Ans(c)
Date: 18th October, 2016 Category: Environment
Topic: Climate Change Source: Hindu Difficulty level: Moderate Type: Factual
5] Which of the following is true?
i. Hydrofluorocarbons, are also known as super greenhouse gases because their high global warming potential could undercut the benefits expected from the reduction of other greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide
ii. Recently delegates meeting in Rwanda accepted a complex amendment to the Montreal Protocol to include HFCs under the protocol too
a. Only 1 b. Only 2 c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2
The Centre’s categorical stand that personal laws should be in conformity with the Constitution will be of immense assistance to the Supreme Court in determining the validity of practices such as triple talaq and polygamy
The distinction between practices essential or integral to a particular religion, which are protected under Article 25 and those that go against the concepts of equality and dignity, which are fundamental rights, is something that the court will have to carefully evaluate while adjudicating the validity of the Muslim practices under challenge
From the point of view of the fundamental rights of those affected, mostly women, there is a strong case for these practices to be invalidated
On triple talaq, courts have adopted the view that Islam does not sanction divorce without reason or any attempt at reconciliation, and that talaq would not be valid unless some conditions are fulfilled
The present petition before the Supreme Court seeks a categorical ruling that talaq-e-bidat — an irrevocable form of triple talaq that is permitted but considered undesirable in Islam — is unconstitutional 2. Reinventing old links
Category: International Relations Topic: India-Russia
Key Points:
The India-Russia summit in Goa on October 15 was high on both symbolism and substance Pillars of the partnership
The three defence cooperation projects are notable:
- The decision to jointly manufacture Kamov Ka226T helicopters in India was announced in 2014, an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) was concluded in 2015, and a shareholders’ agreement was signed in Goa
- the establishment of a ministerial-level Military Industrial Conference to identify new projects and resolve pending issues
- a Science and Technology Commission to facilitate development and sharing of cutting-edge technologies
These agreements consolidate Russia’s position as India’s principal defence partner. Over the past 10 years, Russia provided 70 per cent of India’s defence imports
The effort to strengthen non-defence pillars of the India-Russia partnership shows progress:
- Agreements for Units 5 and 6 in Kudankulam are under finalisation and six more units are in the pipeline
- There are major developments in hydrocarbons - Indian companies have invested about $5.5 billion in the Russian oil and gas
industry - Equally significant is the acquisition, by a consortium led by Russian oil
major Rosneft, of about 98 per cent of Essar Oil and its Vadinar port in a cash deal worth $13 billion
- A joint fund of $1 billion, equally shared by Russian sovereign fund RDIF and our National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), is to promote investment in infrastructure and technology projects
- The agreement for information security cooperation should enable India to benefit from Russia’s globally acknowledged expertise in cyber technologies
- There has been a significant increase in university exchanges and joint science and technology research projects funded by the two governments
Areas that need improvement
As yet, however, the effort to broad-base the India-Russia economic partnership has not percolated fully to our private sector industry
Conclusion
Russia pursues a “multi-vector” foreign policy, dealing with countries of widely divergent
Equally, India is broad-basing its international engagement to maximise its room for manoeuvre
This new dynamic has not diminished the political and strategic relevance of India-Russia relations
A frank and continuous high-level dialogue, reinforced by regular backchannel communications, should ensure that each partner remains sensitive to the core concerns of the other and discordant public messaging is avoided
After seven years of negotiations, on October 15, 197 countries reached a historic agreement in Kigali, Rwanda, to amend the Montreal Protocol and phase down hydrofluorocarbons
HFCs are refrigerant gases used for commercial, residential and automotive purposes (and in other applications) but are hundreds to thousands of times more potent that carbon dioxide
They were meant to replace HCFCs in order to protect the ozone layer but their global warming potential (GWP) has increasingly become a matter of concern in climate negotiations
The Kigali Amendment is one that could avoid global warming by up to 0.5° C
Developed countries agreed to an earlier baseline (2011-13) and freeze year (2019)
But India and a few other developing countries got a later baseline (2024-26) with HFCs freezing only in 2028
Why latitude for India
India and China are the only developing countries that manufacture HFCs
But China’s output is much bigger given its significantly larger share of the global air conditioner market
India’s A/C market and HFC consumption picks up only after 2025. So, differentiation with China, which will witness rapid emissions during 2015-2030 (and has to act sooner), was warranted
India and China are the only developing countries that manufacture HFCs
Action prior to 2028 would have imposed additional costs of currently much more expensive alternative refrigerants
The cost burden is not merely of alternative refrigerants but includes the one-time cost of product redesign, servicing equipment, training of servicing personnel, and per unit equipment costs
The agreed decision requires the Montreal Protocol’s Multilateral Fund to cover incremental costs related to production, consumption, servicing and patents. But it is unclear how much of the total costs will get covered until the guidance document on calculating costs is prepared
Another concern for India was access to technology. Many alternative gases are not manufactured in India currently, although firms are moving in that direction
Gains from Kigali
1. The deal allows India’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) sector to grow while giving time to refrigerant manufacturers to shift to alternatives
2. A review of technological options is also envisaged so that India is not left stranded in 2028
3. Despite the three baselines, the bulk of global HFC emissions starts getting phased down earlier, delivering a massive gain for the fight against climate change
4. The deal is legally binding, and failure to act could invite non-compliance proceedings, making it a more effective deal than the Paris Agreement on Climate Change
It is important to recognise how research, analytics and consultations can help to move the needle and change the course of the planet. The international result is welcome; attention now shifts to domestic action.
2. In Germany, communities reap wind power rewards http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/in-germany-communities-reap-wind-power-rewards/article9236476.ece
Category: Environment Topic: Renewable Energy
Key Points:
Germany is expanding its renewable energy capacity through wind parks owned by the community, a model that has made the small investor a partner in its transition away from coal and nuclear plants
The political project was to get rid of nuclear and coal power plants, and produce all energy through renewable sources
Germany was clear that it would shut down its last nuclear power plant by 2021-22 and was discussing ways to get rid of coal-based power plants
Balancing act
Moreover, although Europe, especially northern Europe and the U.S., had a responsibility to curb carbon emissions, the CO2 thus removed should not be produced by China and India
Both Germany and India had missing distribution cable grids. In Germany renewable power was produced in the north while the south lacked it. In India most wind mills were in the south, while big consumption centres were in the north
D. GS4 Related
E. Important Editorials
The Indian Express: NDMC to introduce e-Health system in hospitals, dispensaries
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is set to introduce e-Health system in its hospitals and dispensaries by the end of this month to provide smart healthcare services
NDMC had introduced cloud based e-hospital management information system in collaboration with NIC, the first of its kind in the country in a government setup
Live Mint: Why India should be worried about China’s Lalho dam
On 30 September, China announced that it has blocked the Xiabuqu river as part of a major hydroelectric project, the Lalho hydroelectric project at Shigatse
Xiabuqu is a major tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo, the upper stream of the Brahmaputra river flowing from Tibet
The strategic value of the Lalho project lies also in the fact that Shigatse is only a few
hours driving distance from the junction of Bhutan and Sikkim, and the city from which
the Chinese plan to extend their railroads to Nepal
The project has raised concerns in the lower riparian states of the Brahmaputra—India
and Nepal
In the absence of a comprehensive water treaty between China and India, the construction
of this dam has raised new concerns.
Since 2013, China and India have been sharing water details through an expert level
mechanism which coordinates on trans-border rivers
1. The first is the traditional question of water itself. When rivers are trans-boundary in nature, lower riparian states are always at a disadvantage
2. In the last 250 years, the Brahmaputra has changed its course a number of times. Any move to control or shift the Brahmaputra course might accentuate the political problems in the north-east
3. A number of tribes have built a livelihood around the course of the river. The influence of these rivers in the lives of the people is immense
Both India and China have set up aggressive goals for themselves in combating climate
change
Shifting from non renewable energy sources to renewable ones like hydroelectricity is an
important step in this direction
However, as global evidence has shown us, large dams are not the solution to energy
sources. Constructing continuous run of the river dams will damage the ecology of the river
too
A river is not only the water body but a complete ecosystem including flora and fauna
Dams in large numbers damage this ecology
All stakeholders have to realise this. China has to take India into confidence because rivers
shouldn’t be used to further political or geostrategic agendas
There is the ecological and environmental question which should be approached through
consensus
Rivers are a common heritage to be nurtured by all
PIB: Shri Nitin Gadkari says Inland Waterways A Game Changer in National Connectivity
At present the country has 12 Major ports and there are plans to add 6 more
Sagarmala Project whose port-led economic growth intends to give a boost to the coastal economy, as it would develop manufacturing hubs as well as promote fishing
At present there are only 5 inland waterways and the government has identified 106 more, and now these 111 waterways are being developed as National Waterways
The waterways will prove to be a game changer as this would reduce the cost of transportation for goods and passengers, reduce road congestion as well as play a vital role in reducing pollution
This will also give a boost to tourism as well
F. CONCEPTS IN NEWS
1. India-Russia
2. India-China
3. Renewable Energy
4. Kigali Amendment
5. National Waterways
Tags:
Wind energy, NDMC, Brahmaputra river
G. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS
Report summary on Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water Bodies
Date: 19 October, 2016 Category: International Relations Topic: India-Russia/Economy Source: Hindu Difficulty level: Moderate Type: Factual
1] Which of the following is true regarding NIIF?
i. It stands for National Investment and Infrastructure Fund
ii. The objective of NIIF would be to maximize economic impact mainly through infrastructure development in commercially viable projects, both greenfield and brownfield, including stalled projects
3] Which of the following national waterways (NW) is correctly matched?
a. NW1 – Sadiya Dhubri stretch b. NW2 – Allahabad Haldia stretch c. NW3 – Kollam Kozhikode stretch d. None of the above
Ans(c)
Date: 19 October, 2016 Category: Geography Topic: Rivers of India
Source: Live Mint Difficulty level: Moderate Type: Factual
4] Which of the following is true regarding the river Brahmaputra?
i. Dibang, Dihang and Padma rivers are tributaries of the river Brahmaputra ii. The Indus and Brahmaputra originate from the same land and follow same directions
a. Only 1 b. Only 2 c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2
Ans(d)
Date: 19th October, 2016 Category: Environment
Topic: Climate Change Source: Hindu Difficulty level: Moderate Type: Factual
5] Which of the following is true?
i. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was designed to reduce the production and consumption of ozone depleting
ii. In 2009, the Vienna Convention became the first Convention of any kind to achieve universal ratification to promote research and information exchange on the effects of human activities on the ozone layer and to adopt legislative or administrative measures against activities likely to have adverse effects on the ozone layer
a. Only 1 b. Only 2 c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2
In a move to develop the Smart cities, the centre is planning to start 500 railway stations in the country with better passenger amenities, easy access and integrated
public transport hubs. An agreement was signed between the Urban Development Ministry and the Railways to redevelop railway stations and surrounding areas under
the Smart City plan.
In the beginning, 100 railway stations and an adjoining area of 300-800 acres would
be redeveloped in the Smart Cities and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and
Urban Transformation (AMRUT) Cities plans. At present, railway stations in 10 cities could be taken up for the redevelopment with
the involvement of the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC). They
are Varanasi, Sarai Rohilla (Delhi), Bhubaneswwar, Lucknow, Varnasi, Jaipur, Kota,
Thane, Margao (Goa), Tirupati and Puducherry.
Union Railway minister Suresh Prabhu said that railway stations, which are at the
core of city development, have become congested over time. Their redevelopment
offers immense opportunities for the changing city landscape.
The scope of the MoU will be extended to over 500 cities in time. The cost of
redeveloping about 500 acres in the Smart City Plans of 60 approved cities is
Sri Lankan government had told the country’s Supreme Court that it had decided to drop the plan to build a coal power plant at Sampur in Trincomalee, due to serious
environmental concerns. It said it was instead considering options such as Liquefied
Natural Gas (LNG), solar and wind power. President of Srilanka, Sirisena unveiled
Soorya Bala Sangramaya (Battle for Solar Energy), an initiative aimed at adding
220 MW of solar power to the island’s energy grid by 2020. The President said he hoped that the project would add 1,000 MW by 2025.
Following Sri Lanka’s shift towards renewable sources, India has offered to build a
solar power plant in Trincomalee.
7. India, Algeria mull joint venture on fertilizers
After losing Tikrit in April 2015 and Fallujah in June 2016, the Islamic State has
been left with little territory under its control in Iraq. Mosul, the country’s second largest city, is its last significant bastion. It was where its leader Abu Bakr al-
Baghdadi declared a “caliphate” in June 2014. And it was the ability of the IS to establish territorial control and run an administration that qualitatively separated it
from other radical jihadi groups such as al-Qaeda.
The capture of Mosul symbolised its effectiveness in combat against a weakly
organised Iraqi army and a sectarian Iraqi state, then under Prime Minister Nouri al-
Maliki. When a coalition of Iraqi armed forces, the Kurdish Peshmerga, Shia militia
groups supported by U.S.-led air strikes and other special forces marched on Mosul,
the long-planned offensive to defeat the IS decisively was finally put into action.
The plan is for the Peshmerga and the militias to barricade the city from the east and
south, respectively, while counter-terrorism forces and police enter the city, engage in
street battles and secure it, leading to final capture. It will not be easy, even if the IS
is a much weakened force compared to what it was in 2014.
The offensive to dislodge the estimated 5,000 IS fighters is expected to last many
weeks. Visuals and reports filtering out from the battle zone already point to the
large-scale use of suicide bombers in armoured trucks and cars taking on the
coalition's tanks and advance forces.
The million or so residents of Mosul the Sunni Arabs among them in particular who
bore the excesses of the sectarian attacks led by Mr. al-Maliki’s government are ready to rebel against the IS, but are wary of the Shia militias. This suggests that a military
victory over the IS will not suffice, and the Mosul operation would be a test of the
Iraqi government’s capacity to mend the sectarian conflict that enabled the rise of the IS in the first place. Other complications too threaten the operation.
The participation of Turkish forces in the attacks has not been welcomed by
Baghdad, as Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has called this a “transgression of Iraqi sovereignty”. The international efforts in this operation are focused towards
providing air support to the Iraqi forces beyond the planning but this must not be
limited to the military battle alone. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
expects a million people to be displaced during the conflict and requires international
funding to help organise shelter for them. It is necessary for the UN to look ahead to
ease the humanitarian crisis that could follow after the Mosul battle and help Iraq in
its reconstruction.
F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:
1. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn
Nuclear attack submarine (SSN) and nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN)
The thicket of legal dialogues on the validity of triple talaq conceals the result of churnings that have already taken place in our courts on this subject
The renewed debate has come through a questionnaire circulated by the Law Commission where it posed the question of whether triple talaq should be abolished or modified, along with a score of other questions predominantly in the context of framing a uniform civil code (UCC)
Triple talaq and Islamic countries
From the earliest days of Islam, a husband could divorce his wife on pronouncement of talaq
in three successive tuhrs (menses-free time)
The first and second pronouncements are revocable and resumption of cohabitation is possible
It is the third pronouncement that dissolves the marriage. Pronouncement of talaq at one go, called talaq-e-bidat, was a latter-day innovation to get an incorrigibly acrimonious couple to part ways as quickly as possible
Turkey adopted a modified version of the Swiss Civil Code in 1926, taking away the religious imprint and allowing for judicial control
Egypt framed a law in 1929 terming triple talaq pronounced at one sitting as a single pronouncement open to easy revocability
Syria followed in 1953 with a slight modification that if the pronouncement of talaq is with reference to number, every talaq shall be revocable, except a third talaq or a talaq before consummation or for a consideration and expressly stated to be irrevocable
Iraq, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have fashioned their own interpretations to Ibn Tamiyah’s view
In Iraq, since 1959, divorce could be effected only after approval by government-run personal status courts
Algeria has adopted the same law, making a further provision for completing the reconciliation process within 90 days
In 1956, a similar interpretation was adopted in Pakistan Handling the current imbroglio
The maturing of Indian democracy with the slow but sure strengthening of representative institutions, the separation of powers, and increased participation in elections is a triumph for the people
But there are questions about the depth of our democratic consciousness
Two recent referendums
As we ponder these questions, referendums — instruments of direct democracy where
citizens get to directly vote on specific and important issues rather than for representatives who will make a choice on their behalf on those issues — have been in the news recently Examples:
- The Brexit referendum, on whether Britain should stay in the European Union, concluded on June 23 with 52 per cent (of 72.2 per cent of the electorate that turned out) voting to “Leave”
- The October 2 referendum called by the Colombian government to ratify the accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) resulted in a “No” vote favoured by 50.3 per cent of the less than 38 per cent of the electorate that turned out
(i) Triple talaq at one go shall be treated as a single pronouncement not yet capable of bringing an irrevocable coup de grace to end matrimonial ties. There is no need to abolish it since it is judicially pronounced to be ineffective
(ii) The pronouncements shall be tested on their reasonableness and parties shall undertake a compulsory conciliatory effort before their utterance
(iii) The interpretation of personal laws of all communities is — like every other law — amenable to be tested on its constitutionality on the touchstone of fundamental rights in the Constitution
(iv) The Law Commission, which is a recommendatory body, will do well to let the pronouncement of the Supreme Court clear the air
If there are provisions which enable public voting on certain legislations it could go a long
way in not just sensitising the public towards important laws but also for a means of getting popular approval for them
However, referendums can lead to majoritarian and not just majority outcomes and therefore constitutional safeguards on the kinds of Bills and Acts that can be brought up for voting are a must
A lot of thought has to go into creating the mechanisms that allow for referendums
Conclusion
India, according to studies on referendums held across the world till 1993, is one of only five democracies to have never held them
It is worthwhile to consider this mechanism at least as a limited device to enhance our democracy into a substantive one
3. Truckloads of goodwill
Category: International Relations Topic: India-Pakistan
India and Pakistan are now at a point where the oscillating political situation between the two is expected to shape future dialogue and economic discourse
Contours of cross-LoC trade
Cross-LoC trade takes place between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir along two routes — Uri-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot
The modalities of this trade have been recorded in the form of a standard operating procedure (SOP), which also lists 21 local items that can be exchanged in barter, based on zero tariff
To build on the success achieved over the past eight years, various complementary measures are needed in addition to the existing modalities to boost this trade and help it achieve its economic potential
In addition to basic measures, increasing the number of vehicles, augmenting the type of tradable commodities, promoting cross-LoC tourism, fostering communication amongst people from both sides, and encouraging greater stakeholder engagement are required to give LoC trade a boost
Stakeholders in the peace process
At a geostrategic and micro level, the importance of LoC trade needs to be understood in the context of the free flow of trade raising prosperity levels of people on both sides of the LoC and enabling them to become key stakeholders in the peace process
At a macro level, the governments can use this as a means of mitigating the long-drawn-out conflict in the State
With firm political will, there is immense potential to transform this into positive economic gains for the people in the State
Such a transformation can prospectively act as a driver of peace between India and Pakistan, which can then view Kashmir not as a subject of contention but as a subject of economic interest
The Centre is considering a proposal to mandate galvanisation of steel in sectors such as automobile, construction and infrastructure in a bid to build corrosion-resistant vehicles and buildings
India is the third largest producer of zinc but our consumption should also be higher and this will boost consumption of zinc as well as steel and curb losses of thousands of crore to the economy due to corrosion
Steel usage would also be substantial in the smart cities program launched by the Prime Minister so there is an imperative need to adopt corrosion control methods in order to provide uninterrupted services to infrastructure users and prolong the life of such national assets
India loses around 4 per cent to 5 per cent of gross domestic product annually on account of corrosion losses, according to our internal analytics
With India and other major growing economies ratifying the Paris climate change agreement, the threshold for the agreement to come into force has been reached
The notion of climate justice was agreed to, politically, at Paris. But it remained unresolved operationally. Along with sustainable lifestyles, climate justice is regarded as a significant principle in environmental parlance
The principle of climate justice made its way to the preamble of the Paris agreement, presumably under the compulsions of an evolving international dynamic, and has become part of the lexicon of climate change
The Bolivarian group of countries, who have been the most ardent advocates of climate justice in the past, have relied on the notion of “compensation for damage” for the over-exploitation of the earth’s ecosystem
While it is certain that the principle of historical responsibility, the centerpiece of the Kyoto Protocol, is no longer the only basis of actions, or the firewall between the developed and developing countries — as the climate negotiators put it — future actions will continue to be different amongst countries and driven by their capability and sustainable development goals
Under the Paris agreement, all countries committed to implement their Nationally Determined Actions (NDCs). India is committed to reduce its emissions intensity of GDP, by 33 per cent to 35 per cent by 2030 from its 2005 level and protect its population from the adverse impacts of climate change
All countries have flexibility under the agreement to determine NDCs, according to their national circumstances
Justice in climate is, therefore, not confined to actions relating to mitigation but includes the wider notion of support for adaptation to climate change and compensation for loss and damage
In most of the developed world, central banks are free to set monetary policy without the interference of those who depend on voters for their employment
Central bank independence isn’t enshrined in the laws that govern the universe; the Bank of England, for example, has been free to set interest rates as it sees fit for less than two decades. And while worries that independence is under attack might seem overblown
Governments have abdicated responsibility for economic stability to their central banks. They’ve set inflation targets of 2% almost everywhere
Politicians can’t complain if their appointees attempt to fulfil their mandates by keeping interest rates at record lows—even when that hurts savers. But the more powerful central bankers become, the more tempted politicians will be to meddle
But trying to bully central bankers into raising interest rates by threatening to annul their independence seems like a dangerous game—especially given the fragility of the global economy
F. CONCEPTS IN NEWS
1. India-Pakistan
2. Independence of central banks
3. Paris climate summit
4. Climate Justice
5. Direct democracy
Tags:
Referendum, INDC, climate change, RBI
G. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS
Report of the committee for evolution of the new education policy
4] Which of the following is true regarding the concept of ‘Climate Justice’?
i. Climate justice links human rights and development to achieve a human-centred approach,
ii. It safeguards the rights of the most vulnerable people and sharing the burdens and benefits of climate change and its impacts equitably and fairly a. Only 1 b. Only 2 c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2
Ans(c)
Date: 21 st October, 2016 Category: Indian Economy
Topic: Infrastructure Source: Hindu Difficulty level: Moderate Type: Conceptual
5] Which of the following is true?
i. Galvanisation is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, to prevent from rusting
ii. Hot-dip, electrogalvanising, sherardizing are some of the methods for galvanizing steel
a. Only 1 b. Only 2 c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2
Bangladesh plans to adopt the correctional and rehabilitation systems used in Indian prisons.
A visiting Bangladeshi delegation visited the State Institute of Correctional Administration,
Hyderabad and Academy of Prisons and Correctional Administration, Vellore, run by the jails
department.
The tea ie ed a pai ti g o old pu ish e t s ste s a d studied the Feel the Jail s ste . Ba gladesh a ts to use I dia s jail offi ers urri ulu a d ake Dhaka s old e tral jail a
museum.
4. Rules for Rs. 40,000 cr. forest fund to be ready in a month
The Ce tre s er se urit ar has issued a fresh ar i g to all a ks autio i g the that cyber criminals from Pakistan may target their information infrastructure.
This alert was issued by the Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CERT-In), the
nodal agency under the Ministry of Electronics and IT.
(CERT-In) is working closely with the Reserve Bank of India to enhance financial sector
security apparatus.
This development assumes importance as it occurs in the wake of the biggest security
breach in Indian banking affecting over 32 lakh accounts.
The agency has also mailed various banks on Thursday, including State Bank of India,
Axis Bank and HDFC Bank, asking them to report details of the debit cards breach.
4. Regional connectivity scheme to take off in Jan., Centre offers slew of sops
Recently in Montreal, global airline body International Air Transport Association (IATA)
has e pressed disappoi t e t o er I dia s oppositio to a glo al pa t for ur i g a iatio e issio s proposed the U ited Natio s I ter atio al Ci il A iatio Organisation (ICAO).
Although 65 countries signed the pact committing to cap emissions at 2020 levels, India
and Brazil were among countries that opted out.
They opted out as they felt the deal would be unfair for developing countries where the
civil aviation market is not mature and the airlines are limited compared to the
Increased Government spending, and a robust property market has aided this.
Earlier this de ade the Chi ese go er e t ega a re ala i g of the e o o shifti g the focus away from a production and export-led model to an increasingly domestic consumption
and services reliant one.
This shift in focus has had some success.
Consumption has contributed 71 per cent of GDP growth in the first three quarters of 2016.
With the Government leading investment in infrastructure as a means to stabilise growth, public
spending climbed 12.5 per cent in the nine-month period, widening China's fiscal deficit.
The Centre is working with States to introduce a One India concept, the most
ambitious ‘ease of doing business’ initiative so far. Under the One-form-One-portal
model, aimed at attracting huge investments, the processes will be simplified to an
extent where investors will need to fill only a single e-form for investing and doing
business anywhere in India.
Currently, firms are mandated to complete multiple forms at the Central and State-
levels, and it gets more complicated as each State has different requirements and
regulations.
The government is working on what could be the world’s best single window clearance mechanism with an in-built information wizard that will help investors
with the application processes.
The plan aims to help raise India’s global ranking on the World Bank Group’s ‘Doing Business’ index from 130 in 2016 to the top 50 among the 189 economies
featured on the list. The proposed concept will also make it easy for investors to even
change plans midway and shift projects to different locations in India where it is
easier to do business.
e-Biz portal: The Centre is already developing an e-Biz project that is basically a
government-to-business portal. The services offered under the portal which firms
and investors can use 24X7 online are on starting, running and closing down a
business. Introduced in January 2014, the portal has an integrated payment gateway
and currently offers 17 pan-India services (at the Central government-level).
The state-level services on offer include that of Delhi (two services), Andhra
Pradesh (13) and Odisha (15). The upcoming services include seven Central
government and other services, 13 from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra (10), Delhi
(six), and Haryana and Tamil Nadu (eight each). Other States have been asked to link
their services to the portal soon, and the aim is to integrate more than 200 services
within a few years.
The focus now is on revamping this portal by identifying and removing glitches.
The thrust will be on quality by reducing the cost, time and processes involved, and
ensuring greater transparency. For instance, States have been asked to do away with
the requirement of fees for services, wherever the fee involved is nominal. The portal
will also be soon shifted to an ‘open source multi-platform’ system/browser. Also in the pipeline is a Permanent account number (PAN)-based Business Identification
Number (BIN) for firms. This unique business ID will integrate about 18
identification numbers including the existing Company Identification Number.
2. Full Capital account convertibility unlikely for few years
Union ministry of Finance said India is not looking at full capital account convertibility
for the next few years. Former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan had
said that the central bank was looking at bringing in capital account convertibility in a
few years. Even the International Monetary Fund (IMF), that has advocated such
convertibility for decades, has become more cautious about its benefits for developing
economies in the recent past.
India is still an emerging economy and would perhaps not be fully capital convertible in
the next few years. The Finance ministry endorsed the need for the same in order to
deepen capital markets and help India play a more meaningful role in the global
economy.
Enumerating the steps taken by the government in the past two years to ease access to
foreign capital, be it portfolio flows or foreign direct investment, - the finance ministry
pointed out that new instruments have also been made available for foreign investors
such as rupee-denominated offshore bonds (Masala bonds) and alternate investment
funds.
The external commercial borrowings framework was liberalised significantly in
December 2015 with the caps on such borrowings enhanced. Given the fact that we don’t have full capital account convertibility, there would be a certain amount of time when
such caps would remain on the ECB framework.
Capital controls are used by the state to protect the economy from potential shocks
caused by unpredictable capital flows. Capital account convertibility means the freedom
to convert a currency for capital transactions and the rupee is not fully convertible on that
front yet, though capital flows have been liberalised in recent years.
3. NIIF said Infrastructure needs $150-$300 bn. equity over 5 years
National Investment and Infrastructure Fund - NIIF said India needs $150 billion to
$300 billion of equity over the next 5 years to drive infrastructure investments. The NIIF,
which will start operations with a first-phase corpus of $6 billion, would focus on equity
and quasi-equity investments at a scale never seen before in India as it will be 6 times
larger than the biggest infrastructure fund currently.
Private investment - As the private or public sectors can’t meet this investment demand on their own, the NIIF will work on creating smart public private partnerships (PPPs)
to fund projects of unprecedented scale and will also continuously suggest policy
improvements to support infrastructure sector investments.
Palampur - a hill station in Himachal Pradesh may soon set the bar for clean air in
India. The National Physical Laboratory, an organization of Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research - CSIR, best known for the being the repository of physical standards
such as the kilogram, second and the centimetre, has set up instruments in Palampur that
will measure atmospheric levels of a wide range of pollutants including ozone, nitrous
oxides, ammonia and particulate matter.
Based on at least a year’s worth of observations on how these gases vary and the influence of local weather, the scientists hope to develop a reference standard for air
quality realistic to India’s climate that can be extrapolated to other cities and regions.
Delhi’s air is considered among the most noxious in the world though there is wide disagreement on the extent to which Delhi’s vehicles, topography or agricultural practices in neighbouring States are responsible.
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