TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS1 Related B. GS2 Related Polity 1. SC questions Kerala HC annulment of Hindu-Muslim marriage 2. Untrained teachers can now access training material 3. SC issues notice on donations to parties 4. Convicts too must breathe fresh air, maintain family ties, says Supreme Court International Affairs/Bilateral Relations 1. Can India protect Rohingya women and children, SC asks govt 2. India set to sign $4.5 billion LoC deal with Bangladesh 3. President Ram Nath Kovind arrives in Djibouti C. GS3 Related Economy 1. From textiles to I-T: Wave of job losses hits new and old economy 2. WEF’s India summit starts today Internal security and Defense related 1. Submarine Khanderi begins sea trials D. GS4 Related E. Prelims Fact F. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions G. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS1 Related
Nothing here for Today!!!
B. GS2 Related
1. SC questions Kerala HC annulment of Hindu-Muslim marriage
Context:
- Background: Supreme Court had ordered a National Investigation Agency probe into the alleged conversion and marriage of a Hindu girl to a Muslim in Kerala
- Present Move by the Supreme Court: the Supreme Court turned around to question the very annulment of the inter-religious marriage by the Kerala High Court and the legality of the girl’s father keeping her in his custody for the past several months.
In news:
- Supreme Court questions the High Court:
- How it annulled the marriage of a woman, who has reached the age of majority, while exercising writ jurisdiction under Article 226, which is used to challenge violations of fundamental rights, legal rights and other basic rights.
- Necessity of NIA probe?
Article 226: Power of High Courts to issue certain writs
(1) Notwithstanding anything in Article 32 every High Court shall have powers, throughout the territories in relation to which it exercise jurisdiction, to issue to any person or authority, including in appropriate cases, any Government, within those territories directions, orders or writs, including writs in the nature of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibitions, quo warranto and certiorari, or any of them, for the enforcement of any of the rights conferred by Part III and for any other purpose
(2) The power conferred by clause ( 1 ) to issue directions, orders or writs to any Government, authority or person may also be exercised by any High Court exercising jurisdiction in relation to the territories within which the cause of action, wholly or in part, arises for the exercise of such power, notwithstanding that the seat of such Government or authority or the residence of such person is not within those territories
(3) Where any party against whom an interim order, whether by way of injunction or stay or in any other manner, is made on, or in any proceedings relating to, a petition under clause ( 1 ), without
- furnishing to such party copies of such petition and all documents in support of the plea for such interim order; and
- giving such party an opportunity of being heard, makes an application to the High Court for the vacation of such order and furnishes a copy of such application to the party in whose favour such order has been made or the counsel of such party, the High Court shall dispose of the application within a period of two weeks from the date on which it is received or from the date on which the copy of such application is so furnished, whichever is later, or where the High Court is closed on the last day of that period, before the expiry of the next day afterwards on which the High Court is open; and if the application is not so disposed of, the interim order shall, on the expiry of that period, or, as the case may be, the expiry of the aid next day, stand vacated
(4) The power conferred on a High Court by this article shall not be in derogation of the power conferred on the Supreme court by clause ( 2 ) of Article 32.
2. Untrained teachers can now access training material
In news:
- Fifteen lakh untrained school teachers have enrolled for a training course with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) to get themselves trained by 2019 to be able to retain their jobs.
- The NIOS has designed online courses to enable them to acquire a Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed).
- The course will be offered through ‘Swayam’, a platform for online education, imparting knowledge through Dish TV.
- This is for the first time in the world that such high number of applications have been received for an online course
- About NIOS: It is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
- Background information: Parliament passed an amendment to the Right to Education Act to offer teachers a last window to acquire proper training, something seen as essential to the provision of quality education in government and private schools.
- Key Fact: The highest number of applications has been received from Bihar — over 2.8 lakh — followed by Uttar Pradesh (1.95 lakh), Madhya Pradesh (1.91 lakh), West Bengal (1.69 lakh) and Assam (1.51 lakh).
3. SC issues notice on donations to parties
In news:
- The Supreme Court asked the Centre and the Election Commission to respond to a petition challenging the various amendments made through Finance Act 2017 and Finance Act 2016 in various statutes, saying these changes have opened the floodgates for unlimited corporate and foreign donations to political parties.
- A petition was filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms and Common Cause seeking to strike down the amendments made to the Companies Act, the Income Tax Act, the Representation of the People Act, the Reserve Bank of India Act and the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.
Petition contention:
- The amendments, introduced as money Bills, legitimise electoral corruption, while ensuring complete non-transparency in political funding.
- The amendments in question have opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate donations to political parties and anonymous financing by Indian as well as foreign companies which can have serious repercussions on the Indian democracy.
- The said amendments have removed the caps on campaign donations by companies and have legalised anonymous donations.
- The Finance Act of 2017 has introduced the use of electoral bonds, which is exempt from disclosure under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, opening doors to unchecked, unknown funding to political parties.
- The Finance Act, 2016 has also amended the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010, to allow foreign companies with subsidiaries in India to fund political parties in India, effectively, exposing the Indian politics and democracy to international lobbyists who may want to further their agenda.
4. Convicts too must breathe fresh air, maintain family ties, says Supreme Court
Context:
- Supreme Court has said that Convicts too “must breathe fresh air” and be allowed to maintain social ties provided they show a tendency to reform
- The court favoured a “humanistic approach” while dealing with pleas for parole or furlough to those serving long jail terms.
Supreme Court observations:
- A bench of Justices asked the government to update its rules, framed way back in 1955, on granting of parole and furlough, saying these were skeletal in nature.
- It referred to one of the objectives of awarding punishment and said it was about reformation of the convicts
- However a person must remain in jail for the period of sentence awarded to him or her.
- His release from jail for a short period has to be considered as an opportunity afforded to him not only to solve his personal and family problems but also to maintain his links with society
- Thus, redemption and rehabilitation of such prisoners for good of societies must receive due weightage while they are undergoing sentence of imprisonment
What is a parole?
A parole can be defined as conditional release of prisoners on good behaviour, with regular reporting to the authorities for a set period of time.
What is Furlough?
Furlough, is a brief release from the prison which is given in cases of long-term imprisonment.
Category: INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS/BILATERAL RELATIONS
1. Can India protect Rohingya women and children, SC asks govt
Context:
- Deportation of Rohingya’s
In news:
- Supreme Court question to government: Can India live up to its international commitments and protect a large section of humanity comprising Rohingya women, children, the sick and the old who are “really suffering”?
- Government claims: the crisis over its move to deport 40,000 Rohingya was not “justiciable”, that is, outside the domain of the judiciary.
- But the court rejected this stand outright
2. India set to sign $4.5 billion LoC deal with Bangladesh
Context:
- Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley visit to Bangladesh.
In news:
- India and Bangladesh will be signing the third line of credit (LoC) agreement involving $4.5 billion to be spent on infrastructure and social sector development.
- ‘Joint Interpretative Notes on the Agreement between India and Bangladesh for the Promotion and Protection of Investments’ would also be signed.
3. President Ram Nath Kovind arrives in Djibouti
In news:
- President Ram Nath Kovind’s four-day visit to Djibouti and Ethiopia.
Key Points:
- Kovind, the first Indian leader to visit Djibouti
- During his visit to the two African nations, the President is expected to sign agreements on institutionalisation of foreign office consultation and greater economic cooperation with Ethiopia.
- Djibouti is strategically located just off the Gulf of Aden.
- Djibouti is an important Indian Ocean partner country with whom India’s bilateral trade stands at $284 million in 2016-17.
- India has extended a line of credit of $49 million to Djibouti, mainly for constructing a cement plant.
- India’s bilateral trade with Ethiopia in 2016 was nearly $$1 billion. The country is among the top three foreign investors in Ethiopia with an approved investment of $4 billion.
- The President’s visit comes in the backdrop of Chinese People’s Liberation Army troops conducting their first live-fire military drills overseas on their base in strategically-vital Djibouti last month, in a major combat display.
C. GS3 Related
1. From textiles to I-T: Wave of job losses hits new and old economy
Context:
- Indian Economy: Series of job losses witnessed by the economy in multiple sectors in the last 2 years.
Reasons:
- There is hardly any growth in private investment, private consumption and exports.
- The growth in economy is fuelled by government spending only.
Scenario in textile sector-
- Exports and production is down due to slump in both external and domestic demand
- Demonetization and transition to GST has hit small players
- Labor issues and cost of production is also causing structural issues in the sector
- Most of the units that have been shut in the sector belong to power loom textile
- The government does not capture data from the small and medium scale textile sectors; hence the distress in these areas is not visible.
Important observations–
- Capital goods firms are struggling as most of the downstream sectors are saddled with excess capacity and low demand.
- Labour bureau’s Quarterly Employment Surveys (QES) are also showing downslide in employment growth because of the layoffs in IT/BPO and financial services sector, which were earlier the key drivers of growth in these surveys.
Textile Workers Rehabilitation Fund Scheme (TWRFS)
- The scheme was introduced in the year 1986
- Aim: to provide relief to workers rendered jobless due to permanent closure of non-SSI (Small Scale Industry) textile mills in private sector
- Relief: workers who have suffered job loss are given wages for three years on tapering basis
- This scheme has been merged under Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana in 2017
Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana (RGSKY)
- Introduced in 2005
- This is an unemployment benefit scheme when the unemployment is caused due to closure of a factory or permanent invalidity arising out of non-employment injury
- The unemployment benefit is provided for the period of 12 months
- This also covers medical care for the beneficiary and the beneficiary’s family
New Economy and Old Economy:
- Old Economy includes industries embedded in the industrial revolution and the mass production of physical goods. Eg Energy, automobile, steel, etc.
- New economy is the result of the transition from a manufacturing-based economy to a service-based economy. Eg. IT and IT-es industry.
- Capital goods are goods that are used in producing other goods.
- Meaning of excess capacity and low demand: when a factory is not utilising its full capacity due to low demand then there is bound to be stress in the sector.
- Private Investment: the investment coming in from private players in the economy to purchase assets eg. Roads built by private players, spectrum sale etc.
- Private consumption: it is the consumption of goods and services by private households.
2. WEF’s India summit starts today
In news:
- World Economic Forum’s 33rd India Economic Summit will kick off on Wednesday, in partnership with industry body CII.
- The theme of the conference is ‘Creating Indian Narratives on Global Challenges’.
- The summit would discuss issues such as climate change, infrastructure and gender parity, besides demonetisation and the GST.
Category: INTERNAL SECURITY AND DEFENSE RELATED
1. Submarine Khanderi begins sea trials
In news:
- The second Scorpene Khanderi began its sea trials last week.
- Khanderi, named after an island fort of Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji, was launched in January and had undergone some testing.
- The Navy formally took delivery of the first submarine Kalvari on September 21 and is awaiting its induction. The remaining three are in various stages of outfitting and expected to roll out tentatively in nine month intervals.
- The Mazagaon Docks Ltd. (MDL) is constructing six Scorpene conventional diesel-electric submarines under Project-75 with technology transfer from Naval Group, formerly DCNS of France, under a $3.75-billion deal signed in October 2005. However, the project has seen steep delays and all six submarines are expected to be inducted by 2020-21.
- The Navy has recently issued the Request For Information (RFI) for procurement of a new line of submarines under Project 75I under the Strategic Partnership model estimated to cost over Rs.50,000 crore.
D. GS4 Related
Nothing here for Today!!!
E. PRELIMS FACT
Nothing here for Today!!!
F. Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam
Question 1. Consider the following statement with reference to Rajiv Gandhi
Shramik Kalyan Yojana.
- RGSKY is an unemployment benefit scheme.
- Under RGSKY unemployment benefit is provided for the period of 12 months.
- RGSKY also covers medical care for the beneficiary and the beneficiary’s family.
Identify the correct statements.
- 1 and 3
- 2 and 3
- 1 and 2
- All are correct
Question 2. Consider the following statements.
- Khanderi is a Scorpene class submarine.
- Khanderi is an armoured tank.
- Khanderi is named after an island fort of Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Choose the correct statements
- 1 and 2
- 1 and 3
- 2 and 3
- None of the above
Question 3. Consider the following statements with reference to Textile Workers
Rehabilitation Fund Scheme.
- The main aim of the scheme is to provide relief to workers rendered jobless due to permanent closure of non-SSI (Small Scale Industry) textile mills in private sector.
- Under the scheme workers who have suffered job loss are given wages for two years on tapering basis.
- This scheme has been merged under Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana in 2017.
Identify the correct statements from the options given below:
- 1 only
- 1 and 2
- 2 and 3
- 1 and 3
Question 4. Which of these is/are mandatory qualification(s) to contest for the
office of Vice-President of India?
- She must be a citizen of India or a Person of Indian Origin (PIO) residing in India since last ten years.
- She must have completed 35 years or age.
- She must not hold an office for profit.
- She must have served as a Member of Parliament (MP) or a member of Legislative Assembly in India.
Select the correct answer using the codes below:
- 2 and 3 only
- 2, 3 and 4 only
- 1 and 4 only
- 3 only
Question 5. Sunderbans delta is facing potential threats due to
- Global warming induced sea level rise leading to coastal erosion.
- Freshwater flows from Brahmaputra and Meghna.
Which of the above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- None
G. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
GS Paper II
-
“Democracy is not a mirror held up to society but a hammer with which to shape it then only fraternity can be made; as declared by the Constituent Assembly; the most important ingredient of democracy”. Elaborate the statement by giving relevant cases and examples.
- The effective Administration rests on Ordinance Route rather Than Ordinance Raj. Discuss.
Also, check previous Daily News Analysis
“Proper Current Affairs preparation is the key to success in the UPSC- Civil Services Examination. We have now launched a comprehensive ‘Current Affairs Webinar’. Limited seats available. Click here to Know More.”
Enroll for India’s Largest All-India Test Series
Comments