Teachwell Institute GK Part-3 August 2018 by Puneet Bhatia Sir
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
GK August Part-3 Teachwell Institute GK_Part-3_August 2018 by Puneet Bhatia Sir unanimous decision to hike the repo rate in Jun, delivered ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE a 5-1 verdict in Aug in favour of a rate hike, maintaining One of India's Most Charismatic Leaders the neutrai stance. Subsequent to the frontloading of two successive rate hikes, against the backdrop of only a It was the end of a journey in ing some 76 years for one of nascent stage of recovery in growth momentum, and likely India's most loved politicians, poet, gentleman and former softening in headline Consumer Price Index inflation prints prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who passed away at the during H2 2019, experts maintain that the MPC is set for a age of 93 on Aug 16. He was one of India's most charismatic prolonged pause. leaders who led the nation through several crises and held together a tenuous coalition with his inclusive politics. The Aug policy communication brought some interesting developments. In a break from previous policies, the Born on 25 Dec 1924 in Gwalior to Krishna Bihari outlook for inflation has been tempered with both upside Vajpayee, a school teacher, and Krishna Devi, Vajpayee and downside risks (as opposed to the oft-found dominance began his political career as a freedom fighter, with his of upside risks flagged by the MPC in the recent past). For first brush with politics as part of the Quit India movement instance, the oil-price-related risk was flagged as a key two- of 1942. As a student, Vajpayee had briefly been inclined way risk. Importantly, during the post-policy interactions, towards communism. However, he changed tack after he RBI Governor Urjit Patel emphasised on the headline was won over by the appeal of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak CPI inflation, stressing on its status as the legal mandate Sangh (RSS). Later, influenced by Syama Prasad Mookerjee, for the MPC. The RBI acknowledged that actual inflation Vajpayee joined the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951. outcomes have undershot its projections, and lowered the Vajpayee soon rose through ranks to become a stalwart. Q2 FY19 estimates marginally. However, it is interesting to After the death of Deendayal Upadhyaya, the leadership of note that the subsequent projection for H2 were broadly left the Jana Sangh passed to Vajpayee. In 1980, the erstwhile unchanged, citing the prevailing uncertaintie"s". members of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh came together to form the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with Vajpayee as its first Data Protection Bill President. He was the first non-Congress prime minister to Several trillion digital records get created every second. complete a full term in office. Such records can relate to govts, organisations, associations Critics within the Sangh Parivar might have thought of or individuals. Many of these would be sensitive or Vajpayee as a Congressman in Sangh clothing, but they confidential. While govts and organisations have been knew the value of his liberal face. That primarily made him fairly active about protecting their data and information, the the choice to head a BJP-led govt, rather than LK Advani, same cannot be said about individuals. The usage of data the leader who traversed across the nation atop a Toyota related to individuals has been central to govt-run census rath, mobilising political support to demolish the Babri and identity programmes, taxation, and for business-led mosque, and, in the process, transforming the BJP from a activities that benefit from customer segmentation and party with limited sectarian appeal into a mass party which targeted marketing. could emerge the largest bloc in the 1996, 1998 'and 1999 Big Data, a term that finds its way into almost every Lok Sabha elections. Caught up as he was in the Jain hawala strategy document for consumer-oriented businesses, has case and the Babri mosque demolition case, Advani chose its roots in the analysis of data pertaining to individuals, to play Sardar Patel to Vajpayee's Nehru. their demographics and behaviours. In recent times this Described his relationship with Advani in a foreword to includes, among others, individuals' browsing history the latter's book, My Country, My Life, Vajpayee says, "Yes, and social media activities. In response to public outcry we have had our differences on the issues and approaches and criticism, govts are developing legislations to protect during the course of our long association... However, it is individuals' personal data. While in many cases there have not the differences, but the unity of purpose and .action, that been regulations forming part of various laws, recently marked our relationship." these are being presented as a separate set of laws that go into great detail on classification of data pertaining CURRENT TOPICS to individuals, defining roles and obligations, and fairly stringent penal provisions, like the General Data Protection Aug 1 Monetary Policy Regulation (GDPR) in the EU. RBI's Monetary Policy Committee"" (MFC), after its surprise Teachwell CORPORATE OFFICE : 415, 4th Floor., Amba Tower, DC Chowk Complex, Sec-9 Rohini, Delhi-110085 (1) Institute Ph.: 27860899, Mob: 9015557890; Website: www.teachwell.co.in GK August Part-3 Draft E-commerce Policy Indian believes 'that she cannot" get even the basic services India is reworking proposed e-commerce rules after a draft, to which she is entitled under the law without greasing the which had signalled a shift towards boosting domestic start- palms of one or more officials at the ground level. In the ups, sparked criticism. recent past, things have undoubtedly changed for the better — even if only marginally — when people try to obtain a The 19-page draft e-commerce policy underscores India's passport, a driving licence, or a birth/death certificate. intent to examine every aspect of e-commerce regulation — from data localisation to antitrust rules. The changes At least one of the amendments, which mandates prior govt would tighten restrictions on global giants like Amazon approval of the Central or. State govt to initiate investigation and Google and may bolster local start-ups such as Paytm. into corruption charges, is bound to evoke negative The nation's interest in stricter norms for an Internet market reactions from large sections of the public. Protection to that's been largely open for decades reflects the pitched govt servants from arbitrary and unilateral action by anti- battles being fought in segments like online retail, cloud corruption agencies without prior permission from the govt services and digital payments. was earlier available only to the higher echelons, from the rank of Joint Secretary and above, before the Supreme Broadly, the draft has signalled "some kind of protectionist Court struck down the so-called 'Single Directive'. The thinking," said Nandan Nilekani, chairman of Infosys Ltd. latest tweak extends this protection to all public servants. "It may stem from a feeling that Indian start-ups should be given a boost, something on the lines of the China model." Another major change is the deletion of the whole of The draft calls for creating a "fair environment for domestic clause (d) of sub-section (1) of Section 13, which defines digital firms to find their rightful place" and "levelling the "criminal misconduct' as the acquisition of a 'valuable thing' playing field for foreign players and domestic startups." It or 'pecuniary advantage' in a dishonest manner. The deleted proposes a single legislation to encompass all aspects of clause was the sole effective weapon against a misbehaving e-commerce and a single regulator to govern the industry"! senior official. This deletion is disappointing because corruption in high places is sophisticated and takes .place in National Register of Citizens a highly clandestine manner. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is the list of Indian Kerala Floods citizens of Assam. It was prepared in 1951, following the Census of 1951. For a person's name to be included in The Southwest monsoon, which has pounded Kerala with the updated NRC list of 2018, he/she will have to furnish 29.5 per cent excess showers in Aug, came in spurts, and existence of name in the legacy data or prove linkage with the dams, which were thought to be adequate as flood the person whose name appears in it. The legacy data is the hazard management instruments, stored the water. collective list of the NRC data of 1951 and the electoral "But there was something unusual about the showers rolls up to midnight of 24 Mar 1971. this time. State recorded an all-time high inflow of water The process of NRC update was taken up in Assam as per into the reservoir lake and also the highest daily rainfall a Supreme Court order in 2013. In order to wean out cases in its catchment area. The phenomenon is cyclical and of illegal migration from Bangladesh and other adjoining reminiscent of the great flood of Malayalam Era 1099 areas, NRC updation was carried out under The Citizenship (CE 1924)," according to an official of the Kerala State Act, 1955, and according to rules framed in the Assam Electricity Board (KSEB), which operates the reservoir. Accord. Back then, the showers had lasted over three weeks and over 1,000 people are said to have perished. The updating process started in May 2015 and ended on 3 lAug 2015. A total of 3.29 cr people applied through 68.31 The situation now is a repeat of the 1961 floods, the second lakh applications. Out of the 40.07 lakh applicants who biggest to hit the State in a century. Had it not been for the have been left out of the final draft NRC devastating spell of rains that forced the opening of 36 dams and the evacuation of over 1.5 lakh people, it would have released, 2.48 lakh applicants have been kept on hold been manageable.