UPSC 2017: Comprehensive News Analysis - November 11

A. GS1 Related
CULTURE
1. Supreme Court refuses to stay release of film ‘Padmavati’
HISTORY
1. Karnataka govt celebrates Tipu Sultan Jayanti amid heavy security, Opposition launches statewide protests
B. GS2 Related
EDUCATION
1. Centre approves creation of National Testing Agency
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. India caught in U.S.-Russia tussle
2. India to face U.K. in ICJ election
C. GS3 Related
ECONOMY
1. GST Council slashes tax rates on 177 items from 28% to 18%
ENVIRONMENT
1. Govt. offers free bus rides during odd-even scheme
2. Delhi pollution: NGT says no odd-even unless Delhi govt justifies its necessity
D. GS4 Related
E. Prelims Fact
F. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
G. UPSC Mains Practice Questions 

A. GS1 Related

 

• The Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea seeking a stay on the release of Bollywood movie ‘Padmavati’, saying the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) considers all aspects before granting certificate to any film.

Central Board of Film Certification (Censor Board)

• It is a statutorycensorship and classification body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
• It is tasked with “regulating the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952“.
• The government at the centre appoints the non-official members and a Chairman who constitute the Board which is headquartered at Mumbai.
• There are a total of nine regional offices for the CBFC which includes Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Cuttack and Guwahati.
• The body’s primary function is to assign each film to one of the four categories –
  • U – Unrestricted public exhibition
  • A- Restricted to adults
  • UA –Unrestricted public exhibition (with a word of caution that Parental discretion required for children below 12 years)
  • S – Restricted to any special class of persons (for example: doctors)
• It assigns certifications to films, television shows, television ads, and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in India. Films can be publicly exhibited in India only after they are certified by the Board, including films shown on television.
• The Board is considered to be one of the strictest Censor Boards in the world. One of the most notable guidelines of the Board include: “any scenes which intend to degrade or disintegrate woman in any manner are not presented”.
• The Board consists of 25 other non-official members and a Chairperson (all of whom are appointed by Central Government).

 

• Bringing the state under a thick security blanket, “Tipu Jayanti” celebrations were held amid protests across Karnataka on Friday to mark the birth anniversary of the controversial 18th-century ruler of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom, Tipu Sultan

Background

• Tipu was a ruler of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore and considered an implacable enemy of the British East India Company.
• He was killed in May, 1799 while defending his fort at Srirangapatna against the British forces.

B. GS2 Related

 

• The Union Cabinet approved the creation of a National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational institutions.

Structure

• NTA will be created as a Society registered under the Indian Society Registration Act, 1860, and as an autonomous and self-sustained premier testing organization to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational institutions
• The entrance examinations will be conducted in online mode at least twice a year, thereby giving adequate opportunity to candidates to bring out their best
• The NTA will be chaired by an eminent educationist appointed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. There will be a Board of Governors comprising members from user institutions.

Significance

• Its creation will relieve the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) – which conducts exams like the National Eligibilty-cum-Entrance Test – and the All India Council for Technical Education of the burden of conducting entrance tests.

Finance

• The Centre will give an initial grant of Rs. 25-crore to the NTA to start its operations in the first year. Thereafter, it will be self-sustaining

 

• India appears to have been caught in a tussle between Russia and the US
• Russia’s news agencies and major newspaper Kommersant carried a story alleging that the Indian navy gave a U.S. naval delegation access to Russian-purchased aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and on-lease nuclear attack submarine INS Chakra, calling it an “unfriendly act” by India.
• According to Kommersant , sources said India committed several “unfriendly acts” towards Russia and they threatened to seriously complicate negotiations, both on the lease of the second nuclear submarine and other projects.

 

• The government is putting “all efforts in” to ensure the election of its nominee Judge Dalveer Bhandari for the International Court of Justice
• Officials said on Friday that India failed to secure enough support in the first few rounds of voting for the court where the Kulbhushan Jadhav case is being heard.

What is the process of election?

• To be elected, any candidate must obtain a majority of 97 votes or more in the UN General Assembly
• They must also have a majority of eight votes in the Security Council.
  • During the last unsuccessful round, India won 115 to U.K.’s 74 votes in the UNGA, but won only six out of 15 U.N. Security Council members, while U.K. won nine.
  • India’s task is made more difficult, given the U.K. is a permanent member and has a vote in both the UNSC and the UNGA.

Why is it important for India?

• India has a particular interest in the ICJ spot, given the trial of Jadhav, the man convicted of spying in Pakistan, which is now in the international court at The Hague.
• In October, Pakistan had nominated an ad-hoc judge Tassaduq Hussain Jillani according to ICJ rules to sit on the Bench.

C. GS3 Related

 

• The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council slashed rates across the board, including for a range of daily items of consumption, relaxed penalties and tweaked rules to make it easier for businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, to comply.
• The biggest rationalization was the decision to cut the tax rate on 178 items from 28% to 18%, leaving only 50 items in the highest tax slab and offering major relief to consumers and businesses.
• It comes into effect from 15 November, is likely to boost consumer demand, reduce disquiet over compliance costs and also lend fresh momentum to the tax reform initiative.
• The tax reductions will, however, result in a revenue loss of about Rs20,000 crore a year

 

 

• The Aam Aadmi Party government on Friday announced free bus rides aboard its Delhi Transport Corporation fleet from November 13 to 17, the proposed dates of odd-even car rationing scheme, even as the National Green Tribunal questioned the rationale
• According to sources, the free rides are expected to cause a loss of around Rs. 9.5 crore to the cash-strapped public transporter.
• The government’s decision of free bus rides is subject to the NGT’s final call on the odd-even scheme.
• Meanwhile, the DTC will operate 500 additional buses under its ‘Paryavaran Seva’, with half their seats reserved for women.

 

• The NGT chairperson noted that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had indicated that no real benefits in reducing air pollution accrued from the odd-even scheme when it was implemented in the past.

D. GS4 Related

E. PRELIMS FACT

F. Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam

GS Paper I

• What is Glasnost and perestroika? Did it help the Russian Transformation? Why did USSR collapse?

GS Paper II

• India-Russia-China Strategic Co-Operation: Myth or Reality? Critically Comment.

Also, check previous Daily News Analysis

 

 

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