June 5, 2020 Abhyaas Newsboard... For the quintessential test prep student
1. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore
National Gallery of Modern Art will organise the Virtual Tour titled “Gurudev – Journey of the Maestro through his visual vocabulary” from 7th May 2020 to commemorate the 159th birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. More On This: Popularly known as ‘Gurudev’, he was born in an affluent Family. Tagore was primarily known as a writer, poet, playwright, philosopher and aesthetician, music composer and choreographer, founder of a unique educational institution - Visva- Bharati and a painter. • Tagore began writing poetry at the tender age of eight years old and at 16 years of age, Tagore released his first collection of poems under the pen name ‘Bhanusimha’. • He had spoken at the World Parliament for Religions in the years 1929 and 1937. • He wrote the National Anthems of India and Bangladesh. • He left his imprint on art and played a role in transforming its practices and ushering into modernism. • Between 1928 and 1940, Rabindranath painted more than 2000 images. He never gave any title to his paintings. • Expressionism in European art and the primitive art of ancient cultures inspired him. In 1913, he became the first Indian to receive a Nobel Prize in Literature for his novel ‘Geetanjali’. He denounced British imperialism, yet he did not fully support or agree with Gandhi and his Non-cooperation Movement.
2. Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra and border area connectivity
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on May 8 inaugurated 80km long road that will curtail the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage time. The road link is from Dharchulawww.lawprep.in (Uttarakhand) to Lipulek (China Border). More On This: With this connectivity, there will be a new era for Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra and border area connectivity. The event took place through video conferencing in which he also flagged off a convoy of vehicles from Pithoragarh to Gunj. • Shri Rajnath Singh on the occasion said that the Central Government and PM Narendra Modi have a special vision regarding the development of the rural areas. • Shri Rajnath Singh stated that with the completion of the road link, the dreams of local people and pilgrims have been fulfilled. He also said the local trade and economic growth in the region will see a boost with this roadway. • Since the pilgrimage to Kailash-Mansarovar has been sacred, with the completion of this road, the yatra can be completed in just one week which earlier took 2-3 weeks. The event of road inauguration has been attended by Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Defence Secretary Dr. Ajay Kumar, Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane, Lok Sabha MP from Almora (Uttarakhand) Shri Ajay Tamta, BRO and Senior officials of Defence Ministry.
Abhyaas Newsboard ... www.lawprep.in Page 1 June 5, 2020
3. Pulitzer Prize
On May 4, 2020, The 2020 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced in 15 Journalism categories and 7 Book, Drama and Music categories by its administrator, Dana Canedy,via video-conference instead of a ceremony at Columbia University in New York, United States (US) due to the coronavirus pandemic for their “striking images of life” in the valley. More On This: 3 Indian photojournalists won 2020 Pulitzer Prizein feature photography • The three Indian photojournalists namely Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand from Jammu and Kashmir who work for Associated Press (AP) have won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in feature photography. The award recognized their exceptional coverage of Jammu and Kashmir during the lockdown that was imposed on Jammu and Kashmir by the Central Government after the revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. • The winning photographers captured images of protests, the police, paramilitary action and daily life in Jammu and Kashmir after phone and internet services were shut down in August 2019, making it difficult for the world to gain access to the region. • Somehow, they managed to reach the airport and convinced Kashmiri passengers to carry photos stored in drives and disks to Delhi and hand them over to the Associated Press staff.
4. Parliamentary standing committees
Vice President of India and Chairman of Rajya Sabha Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu recently held a meeting with Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla and discussed the issue of feasibility of various Committees of Parliament holding their meetings at the earliest in the prevailing situation and in the context of restrictions on travel across the country. More On This: www.lawprep.in They also discussed pros and cons of Parliamentary Committees holding meetings by video conferencing. • ‘Standing’ committees: Their existence is uninterrupted and usually reconstituted on an annual basis. Some standing committees are departmentally related. • ‘Select’ committees formed for a specific purpose, for instance, to deliberate on a particular bill. Once the Bill is disposed of, that select committee ceases to exist. • Finance committees are considered to be particularly powerful. The three financial committees are the Public Accounts Committee, the Estimates Committee and the Committee on Public Undertakings.
Abhyaas Newsboard ... www.lawprep.in Page 2 June 5, 2020
5. Delimitation Panel
The Lok Sabha Speaker has nominated 15 MPs as associate members of the delimitation panel on Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern state. More On This: The nominated MPs belong to Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland. They will assist the panel in redrawing parliamentary and assembly constituencies of J&K and the northeastern states. • The 15 MPs include two Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Jitendra Singh and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. • The delimitation commission had recently written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and presiding officers of the assemblies of the four concerned northeastern states to nominate associate members of the panel. The union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has no legislative assembly at present. It was bifurcated into a UT with a provision of a legislature. • Delimitation Panel Responsibilities The delimitation panel will delimit the constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act and that of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh in accordance with the provisions of the Delimitation Act, 2002. The commission had convened on May 28. 2020 to review the progress of the work done so far.
6. Sample Registration System (SRS)
Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin has been released by the Registrar General of India. It is based on data collected for 2018. More On This: National birth rate in 2018 stood at 20. It was 36.9 in 1971. • Best and worst: Bihar (26.2) continues to remain at the top of list in birth rate while Andaman and Nicobar (11.2) is at the bottom. The rural-urban differential has also narrowed. However, the birth rate has continued to be higher in rural areas compared to urban areas in the last four decades. • Death rate stood at 6.2 in 2018 from 14.9 in 1971. • Best and worst: Chhattisgarhwww.lawprep.in has the highest death rate, while Delhi has the lowest. • Infant mortality rate is at 32. It is about one-fourth as compared to 1971 (129). Worst and best: Madhya Pradesh (48) has the worst infant mortality rate in the country while Nagaland (4) has the best.
Abhyaas Newsboard ... www.lawprep.in Page 3 June 5, 2020
7. What is the Darbar Move in J&K all about?
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has asked the Centre and the Union Territory (UT) administration to take a final call on the continuation of Darbar move- the 148-year-old practice of shifting capitals annually between Srinagar and Jammu. More On This: Darbar Move is a century-old practice in which the government functions for six months each in the two capitals of the State, Srinagar and Jammu. • The practice was reportedly started in the late 19th century by Ranbir Singh, the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, who used to shift his capital between Srinagar in the summer and Jammu in the winter to escape extreme weather conditions in these places. • The government will function in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State, till late October and then move to Jammu, the winter capital, in the first week of November. • Hundreds of trucks are usually plied to carry furniture, office files, computers, and other records to the capital. • Regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir advocated the continuation of the practice “to help in the emotional integration between two diverse linguistic and cultural regions of Jammu and Kashmir.”
8. One Nation, One Ration card
Consumer Affairs Minister, Ram Vilas Paswan announced that 5 more states and UT’s have been integrated with the ‘one nation, one ration card’ scheme. The announcement was made on May 1 through his official twitter handle. More On This: On January 1, 2019, 12 states have been integrated into this scheme among each other. With the recent addition of 5, beneficiaries will be able to get food grains from the Fair Price Shops anywhere in these 17 states and UT’s. • As per the official statement,www.lawprep.in with this scheme, 60 crore beneficiaries will be able to purchase subsidized food grains using their existing ration card. • The five more states namely Bihar, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Daman & Diu have been integrated with ‘one nation, one ration card’ scheme. • The ration card by the states will be issued in bi-lingual format, besides the local language, the other language can be either Hindi or English. • The card will have a 10-digit standard ration card number. The first two digits will be the state code while the next two digits will be the running ration card numbers. Under ‘one nation, one ration card’ system, the migratory ration cardholders will be able to get food grains from any Fair Price Shops (FPS) in the integrated 17 states & UT’s. They will be entitled to the subsidized food grains by using their existing ration cards issued in their own states or UT’s. It will certainly help the migrant workers who have not been able to reach their hometown and have been stuck in different states at the time of the lockdown.
Abhyaas Newsboard ... www.lawprep.in Page 4 June 5, 2020
9. Co-Op banks come under Sarfaesi Act: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has held that the cooperative banks involved in the activities related to banking are covered within the meaning of ‘banking company’ and Parliament has legislative competence to provide for procedure for recovery of loan under the Sarfaesi Act. More On This: The judgment came in view of several conflicting decisions by high courts on the issues of: Whether the Co-operative banks can be called ‘Banks (financial Institution)’ under the Banking Regulation Act of 1949. Whether the Parliament has legislative competence to regulate financial assets of cooperative banks formed under state law. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said, • The meaning of ‘banking’ cannot be confined to a particular definition, as given in the Banking Regulation (BR) Act, 1949. The word ‘banking’ has been incorporated in Entry 45 of List I. • The decision in Rustom Cavasjee Cooper (1970 verdict) vividly leaves no room for doubt that banking done by the cooperative bank is covered within the ambit of Entry 45 of List I. • Therefore, cooperative banks come under the category of banks as defined under Section 2(1)(c) of the Sarfaesi Act, and the recovery procedures mentioned under that law apply to cooperative banks as well.
10. Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved several initiatives under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan on May 20, 2020 including allocation of foodgrains to the stranded migrants, implementation of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and Extension of Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana. More On This: Cabinet approves ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat Package’ for allocation of foodgrains to stranded migrants • The Union Cabinet has givenwww.lawprep.in its approval for the allocation of foodgrains from Central Pool to approximately 8 crore migrants and stranded migrants. Under the initiative, 5 kg of food grains will be provided per person for two months (May and June), completely free of cost. • The entire initiative would require an estimated food subsidy of about Rs 2,982.27 crore. The other expenses including intra- state transportation and handling charges and dealer’s margin / additional dealer margin will account for Rs 127.25 crore. The entire amount is expected to be borne by the central government. • Overall, the government subsidy will amount to Rs 3109.52 crore. The allocation is expected to ease the hardships faced by migrant labourers during the lockdown imposed to contain coronavirus pandemic.
Abhyaas Newsboard ... www.lawprep.in Page 5 June 5, 2020
11. Supreme Court’s 4G Internet Order
Supreme Court on May 11 refused to restore 4G internet in Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. More On This: But, the Court has ordered the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir administration to form a committee of Secretaries from MHA and J&K UT Admin to take a call after reviewing the ground security situation. • The high-powered Committee headed by the MHA Secretary will also look into the contentions raised by various petitioners. • There is a need to ensure that national security and human rights are balanced. J&K UT has plunged into crisis, but at the same time there are concerns related to ongoing pandemic and hardships. • The bench also referred to its earlier decision in the Anuradha Bhasin case (2020) wherein it ordered review of restrictions placed in J&K in the wake of abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.
12. Death Penalty Sentencing in Trial Courts.
It is a report by research organization Project 39A of National Law University, Delhi. In the study, the organisation analysed 215 judgments from three states, 43 from Delhi, 90 from Maharashtra and 82 from Madhya Pradesh, in which trial courts imposed death sentence between 2000 and 2015. More On This: The shock and impact of a crime on the collective conscience of society was a major reason cited by trial courts in Delhi while imposing death sentence on convicts. • The study also revealed blatant non-compliance by the trial courts with the sentencing framework laid down by the Supreme Court in its 1980 judgment in Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab, where a Constitution bench of the Supreme Court was called upon to decide the constitutional validity of the capital punishment. • Out of the 43 cases in Delhi in which death sentence was handed down between 2000 and 2015, trial courts invoked the impact of the crime on society’swww.lawprep.in collective conscience in 31 cases (72%) as grounds to send convicts to death row. • In Madhya Pradesh, the said ground was used in 43% cases (35 out of 82) while in Maharashtra the figure stood at 51% (46 of 90 cases).
Abhyaas Newsboard ... www.lawprep.in Page 6 June 5, 2020
13. National Legal Services Authority (NALSA)
NALSA has released a report on number of undertrials released during the lockdown period. More On This: Legal services institutions have intervened to release 42,529 undertrial prisoners as well as 16,391 convicts on parole to de- congest prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic. • The highest number of undertrial prisoners released was 9,977 in Uttar Pradesh, followed by 5,460 in Rajasthan and 4,547 in Tamil Nadu, 3,698 in Punjab and 3,400 in Maharashtra. • There are 1,339 prisons with approximately 4,66,084 inmates. • The rate of occupancy at Indian prisons at 117.6%. Need: • The Supreme Court observed in March that physical distancing, an effective measure to check the spread of the novel coronavirus, would be difficult in prisons. • Further, the court issued guidelines, formed committees and asked the legal services authorities to work together and release undertrial prisoners and those on bail and parole to bring the prison population down.
14. National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC)
Questioning the basis of the Supreme Court judgement that quashed the National Judicial Appointments Commission, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has wondered why the prime minister cannot be trusted with appointing fair judges. More On This: On 16 October 2015, in a 4-1 majority verdict, the Supreme Court held that both the Constitution (Ninety-ninth Amendment) Act, 2014, and the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014, were unconstitutional as it would undermine the independence of the judiciary.www.lawprep.in • The majority said the two laws affect the independence of the judiciary, and judicial appointments, among other things, should be protected from executive control. • NJAC is a body responsible for the appointment and transfer of judges to the higher judiciary in India. NJAC Bill sought to replace the collegium system of appointing the judges of Supreme Court and High Courts with judicial appointments commission wherein the executive will have a say in appointing the judges. • A new article, Article 124A, (which provides for the composition of the NJAC) was to be inserted into the Constitution. • The Bill provided for the procedure to be followed by the NJAC for recommending persons for appointment as Chief Justice of India and other Judges of the Supreme Court (SC), and Chief Justice and other Judges of High Courts (HC).
Abhyaas Newsboard ... www.lawprep.in Page 7 June 5, 2020
15. ICC Test rankings
India has lost its top spot to Australia in ICC test rankings on May 1 and has now dropped to third. The fall in the ranking was because India’s victory in 12 test matches and just one defeat in 2016-2017 was eliminated from the annual update. More On This: Australia taking the top spot, India has slipped to the 3rd spot and New Zealand has gained 2nd position in the ICC test rankings. The latest update has rated the matches played since May 2019 at 100 percent and matches from the previous two years at 50 percent. • Australia acquired a top spot in test rankings as well as gained no.1 spot in the T20 list for the first time. England continued its lead in men’s ODI rankings after an annual update which eliminated 2016-2017 results. • In the test ranking, Australia is leading with 116 points, New Zealand with 115 points and India with 114 points. With only the difference of two points, this is the second closest that the top teams have been since test rankings were released in 2003. • The top three teams were closest in January 2016 when India was leading by a single point from Australia and South Africa. In the test ranking, South Africa has suffered the biggest fall of eight points and led them dropping below Sri Lanka into 6th • South Africa has won three series in the selected period and had lost 8 of 9 tests since February 2019, playing against India, Sri Lanka, and England.
16. Commonwealth Youth Games have been postponed
The 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games have been postponed to 2023. The decision was taken because the dates were clashing with the Tokyo Olympics. More On This: Tokyo Olympics was scheduledwww.lawprep.in to take place from July 23 to August 8, 2020, but due to the widespread COVID-19, the games were postponed and rescheduled for 2021. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) released a statement mentioning that CGF has decided to consider the alternative options for the event, potentially in 2023. The seventh Commonwealth Youth Games were originally scheduled from August 1 to 7, 2021. • As per the CGF, due to the pandemic, Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have now been scheduled for 2021 during which Commonwealth Youth Games were originally scheduled. • CGF also assured that the Caribbean nation will remain the first preference for the games. CGF has already considered Tobago and Trinidad Commonwealth Games Association as the first option for the host.The Commonwealth Youth Games in 2021 were scheduled to take place in Trinidad and Tobago. • CGF President, Dame Louise Martin mentioned that the decision regarding the reschedule has been taken in the best interest of the athletes and fans, and everyone’s health and well being is the top priority. Tokyo Olympics have now been scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 8, 2021.
Abhyaas Newsboard ... www.lawprep.in Page 8 June 5, 2020
17. Vizag Gas Tragedy
As per the latest update, Styrene Gas was leaked from the LG Polymers Plant in Visakhapatnam, which has so far claimed over 8 lives in Andhra Pradesh. Media reports have indicated that following the leak, the gas has spread across as radius of 3 km affecting at least 5 villages and over 3000 people. More On This: Initial reports indicate the gas leak occurred on 7th May – Thursday at 2 AM on in the morning and quickly spread to around 5 villages in the vicinity of RR Venkatapuram where the plant is located. What is Styrene Gas? Styrene is a chemical compound that has been identified as neruo-toxins. It is also known as ethenylbenzene, vinylbenzene, and phenylethene and has chemical formula of C6H5CH=CH2. • Styrene Gas is a by-product of highly flammable raw material Styrene. The gas produced by burning styrene is poisonous in nature. Coming to chemical properties, Styrene Gas is a colour-less and odour-less compound. • However, in few cases, the gas has been reported as having a mild sweet odour. It quickly spreads in air. LG Polymers is a South Korean company, which is located at Venkatapuram near Gopalapatnam in Visakhapatnam. • Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan also expressed shock over the mishap and ordered officials to take up rescue operation on war footage.
18. Nominations to Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
Rohit Sharma has been nominated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2020. Among other nominations, the BCCI nominated Shikhar Dhawan, Deepti Sharma and Ishant Sharma for Arjuna Awards. More On This: The Union Ministry of Youth Affairswww.lawprep.in and Sports had sought invitations for the awards from the board. The period of consideration for the nominations is from January 1, 2016- December 31, 2019. • Speaking on the nominations, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly stated that they went through a lot of data and considered various parameters before shortlisting the nominees. • Rohit Sharma is India’s vice-captain in the limited-overs format. He was named ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year 2019. • Shikhar Dhawan is the only batsman in the world to win two consecutive golden bats for most runs in the ICC Champions Trophy. • Ishant Sharma is the youngest Indian cricketer to play in all three formats of the game. • All-rounder Deepti Sharma holds the record of the highest individual ODI score by an Indian woman cricketer.
Abhyaas Newsboard ... www.lawprep.in Page 9 June 5, 2020
19. Sports an Industry status
Mizoram has become the first Indian state to accord sports an industry status. The move is aimed at further bolstering sports activities by attracting investment. Mizoram Sports Minister Robert Romawia Royte expressed confidence that the move will help generate employment in the state. More On This: Mizoram is home to some of the best footballers in the north-east, who play for different clubs across India. The state had previously won the Indian Super League, which is one of the top premier football leagues in India. • Besides football, the state is finding its footprint in other sports as well, as it has done well in weightlifting and hockey in recent years. • Since 2010, talks have been going on at the national level to accord industrial status to sports. However as sports is a state subject, the centre has a limited role to play in taking a decision in this regard.
20. Clinical Trials of Ayush Medicines
The Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on May 7 announced that the clinical trials of Ayush medicines have been started by the Health Ministry for COVID-19. The trials will be of age-old medicines such as Yashtimadhu, Ashwagandha, and Guduchi Pippali. More On This: The Union Minister informed that the clinical trials of Ayush medicines have been started on health workers and on those who have been working in high-risk areas. The Health Minister further added that the trials will be in collaboration with the Health Ministry so as to provide standard care to the patients of COVID-19. www.lawprep.in Key Highlights: • The clinical trials will be a joint initiative between the Ministry of Ayush, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Science and Technology via Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) along with the technical support of the Indian Council of Medical Research. • The Ayush ministry has also been trying to study the impacts of Ayush based prophylactic interventions, especially in high-risk populations. • The Health Minister also informed that an app named ‘Sanjeevani’ has been launched. It will collect information from around 50 lakh people regarding the use of medicines that have been advised by Ayush to boost immunity.
Abhyaas Newsboard ... www.lawprep.in Page 10 June 5, 2020
21. Cyclone ‘Amphan’
The Home Ministry stated that cyclone ‘Amphan’ will likely turn into a super cyclonic storm by the evening of May 18 and will hit the coasts of Odisha and West Bengal on May 20. More On This: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier informed that the storm has turned extremely severe over the Bay of Bengal. • As per the Chief of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), SN Pradhan, the trajectory will mostly be towards Sagar islands, West Bengal, and probably towards Bangladesh but the trajectory must be observed very closely by the teams. • To monitor the situation and review the preparedness, PM Narendra Modi has called a high- level meeting at 4 pm on May 18. • Home Minister Amit Shah shared the news through his official twitter handle and informed that PM Modi will chair a meeting with NDMA and MHA.
22. Locusts Attack in India
Large swarms of Desert Locusts have entered India’s Rajasthan through Pakistan in search of crops and greenery to satisfy their hunger. More On This: The locusts swarms began from Iran in 2019, migrating to Pakistan and now have entered India in Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. • These desert locusts have already infested areas of North & Central India and are slowly moving towards Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra. • While India is already battling the consequences of novel Coronavirus on its economy, locust attack or plague could further devastate its agricultural economy and risk India’s food security. • This is the worst ever locustswww.lawprep.in attack in last three decades. The Locust Warning Organisation has suggested for the use of drones for sprinkling chemicals in Rajasthan to kill the locust.
Abhyaas Newsboard ... www.lawprep.in Page 11 June 5, 2020
23. Kalapani-Lipulekh Dispute
Nepal recently approved its new political map showing its claim over Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura territories, raising a matter of concern for India. More On This: As of now, Nepal has not released the Map publically, however, it is expected to be published soon. The move has been strongly condemned by India as “unjustified cartographic assertion”. • Earlier in November 2019, India released its new political map showing Kalapani as a part of its territory, which was objected by Nepal. The new India map also showed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as a part of its newly created UTs Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. • Kalapani is the first big reason behind Indo-Nepal border controversy, followed by Lipulekh. Lipulekh is located in a far west point near Kalapani, an area of territorial dispute between India and Nepal. Both the countries claim these regions as part of their territory. India claims Kalapani as part of Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand’s and Nepal claims it as a part of its Dharchula district.
24. Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA)
The Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar held an interaction with all the state Chief Ministers, Cabinet Ministers & State Government Officers of six states on May 21, 2020 to discuss issues related to the notification of Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) pertaining to Western Ghats. More On This: The six states include Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, which make up the Western Ghats. The meeting was held through video conference. • The Government of India www.lawprep.inhad formed a high-level working group under the chairmanship of Dr. Kasturirangan to converse and protect the bio diversity of Western Ghats while at the same allowing sustainable and inclusive development of the region. • The Committee had recommended declaring identified geographical areas falling under the six states as Ecologically Sensitive Areas. A draft notification regarding the same was issued in October 2018. The notification mentions the areas that are to notified as ecologically sensitive. The Ecologically Sensitive Areas are areas in India notified by the Union Ministry of Environment around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. The main objective behind declaring the areas as sensitive to protected the areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas. The government can restrict industry operations, construction, mining or any other activity in the areas.
Abhyaas Newsboard ... www.lawprep.in Page 12 June 5, 2020
25. Open Budget Survey 2019
On April 30, 2020, According to the 7th edition of ‘Open Budget Survey 2019’ conducted by International Budget Partnership (IBP), More On This: India has been ranked at 53rd position among 117 nations in terms of budget transparency and accountability with the score of 49 out of 100. While at the same time New Zealand has been topped the list with a score of 87. The global average transparency score on this survey was 45. • Performance of India: As per IBP, the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA) has helped to know the performance of India in this survey, which is just a stagnation over the last few years.India also functioned better in publishing timely and relevant information in the audit reports and in-year reports. • Reason for decline: The survey noted that non-appearance of a published Pre-Budget Statement and not presenting out a Mid-Year Review in 2018-19 decreased the transparency score for the Union Budget of India. • Way forward: The IBP stressed India to provide adequate space for public participation for priority setting in its budgets & effectively use public resources judiciously and accountably, for its improvement.
26. Tragic Death of George Floyd
A fired Minneapolis police officer will face a more serious murder charge and three other sacked officers will be charged as aiding and abetting in the death of an unarmed black man that triggered eight days of nationwide protest, court documents said on Wednesday. More On This: George Floyd, 46, died after Derek Chauvin, a white policeman, knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes on May 25, reigniting the explosive issue of police brutalitywww.lawprep.in against African Americans five months before a presidential election. • Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is charging Chauvin, 44, with second-degree murder in addition to the third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges leveled against him last week, according to court documents. • The new charge can carry a sentence of up to 40 years, 15 years longer than the maximum sentence for third-degree murder.
Abhyaas Newsboard ... www.lawprep.in Page 13 June 5, 2020
27. International Labours day
May 1st of every year is acknowledged as International Labours day, an official public holiday in many countries all over the world as a tribute to the workers across the globe. More On This: It is also known as Workers day or May day. The origin of May day differs from country to country but the common theme is the working class taking a stand against exploitation enforced on them. • The First May day took place on May 1st 1890 was focused on the workers after the proclamation to dedicate May 1st as the “Workers Day of International Unity and Solidarity by the first International Congress of Socialist parties in Europe on July 4th 1889 in Paris, France. • Origin of May Day In India: The first May day was celebrated by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan(LKPH) in Madras(today’s Chennai) on May 1, 1923 and also the first time to use the Red flag as a symbol of Labours Day in India. • Communist Leader Malayapuram Singaravelu Chettiar passed the resolution for celebrating Labours Day as a national holiday in India. The Day is associated with many labour movements by communist and socialist parties.
28. INR-USD (Rupee-Dollar) Futures and Options
On May 08, 2020, Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitaraman launched INR-USD (Rupee-Dollar) Futures and Options contracts on two international exchanges namely BSE’s India INX and NSE’s NSE-IFSC at the International Financial Services Center (IFSC) of Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) in Gandhinagar through a video conference. More On This: • Benefits: The launch of Rupee-Dollar Contractor will increase economic activities in the country and will also increase employment as large part www.lawprep.inof the financial services market associated with India has gone to international financial centers in other countries over the last decade. Bringing these businesses to India is beneficial for the country. • Availability: These deals will be available for 22 hours every day in all time zones for businessmen from all over the world through Gift-IFSC. • Feature: GIFT-IFSC has a world-class environment of trading and its tax system is also competitive. Therefore, it is believed that a large part of the business that has gone to other countries will come to India due to the trading of rupee-dollar contracts. With this, big global traders will start trading in India and India’s IFSC will connect with the whole world.
Abhyaas Newsboard ... www.lawprep.in Page 14 June 5, 2020
29. World Menstrual Hygiene Day
World Menstrual Hygiene(MH) Day is celebrated every year on May 28 to highlight the importance of menstrual health & to change the social stigma associated with menstruation. More On This: The day is a global platform that brings together the voices & actions of non-profits, government agencies, the private sector, the media and individuals to promote Menstrual Hygiene Management(MHM) for all women and girls. • Theme of MH day, 2020: ‘’Periods in Pandemic – it is time to take action!”. To highlight how the challenges faced by women during menstruation have worsened due to the ongoing pandemic(COVID-19) • Objective of 2020 MH Day • To emphasize the importance of continuing menstrual hygiene awareness and support for women and girls during COVID-19, especially for those living in poverty, the internally displaced, refugees, and those in quarantine and transit centers. • The day recognises that periods do not stop for pandemics in light of the coronavirus crisis, using the hashtag #PeriodsInPandemics(twitter)
30. Group of Seven (G7)
The United States (US) has joined an international panel of Group of Seven (G7) for setting up ethical guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence (AI). The partnership was launched after a virtual meet of technology ministers of member nations. More On This: The aim of this panel is to counter the China’s twisting technology in ways that threaten civil liberties. • The involvement of US in this panel was important because of the large role that American tech firms play globally and its historic advocacy for humanwww.lawprep.in rights. • Two years ago, the leaders of Canada and France announced the formation of a group to guide the responsible adoption of AI based on shared principles of human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation and economic growth. • At that time, US objected this stating that a regulation would hamper US innovation. But negotiations in 2019 and changes to the group’s scope led the US to join.
News Contributors Ram Dheeraj Appasani NALSAR(Hyderabad) Anand Nayak Korra NALSAR(Hyderabad) Newsboard Developed by - Achyuth Kadarla (Bonsagar Publications)
Abhyaas Newsboard ... www.lawprep.in Page 15