DECEMBER, 2020 Volume 1 ALL INDIA LEGAL FORUM CREDITS:- Patron-in-Chief: Aayush Akar Editor-in-Chief: Shubhank Suman Senior Manager: Vrinda Khanna, Nandini Mangla Manager- Srishti Gupta External Manager of Graphic Board- Shreya Jain Researchers: 1. Praveen Parihar 2. Tania MariaJoy 3. Santhosh Murugan 4. Yamini Mahawar 5. Aini Borah 6. Deepanshi Gupta 7. Fazila Fahim 8. Ishika Sharma 9. Padma Priya 10. Rishika Mahajan 11. Sneha Bachhawat 12. Uma Bharathi Editors- 1. Parth Jaisinghani 2. Nirali Seth 1 IN THE ISSUE the food & beverages group contributing (+) 1.29 percentage points to the total ECONOMIC NEWS change. Retail inflation for industrial workers At item level, arhar dal, poultry (chicken), rises to 5.91% in October eggs (a hen), goat meat, mustard oil, sunflower oil, brinjal, cabbage, carrot, 29-11-2020 cauliflower, chilies green, gourd, ladyfinger, onion, peas, potato, electricity etail inflation for industrial domestic, doctor’s fee, bus fare, etc. are workers rose marginally to 5.91 responsible for the increase in index. percent in October from 5.62 R However, it said that this increase was percent in September this year mainly due checked by Wheat, fish fresh, tomato, to higher prices of certain food items. apple, etc., putting downward pressure on “Year-on-year (retail) inflation based on the index. all-items stood at 5.91 percent for October At the center level, Doom- 2020 as compared to 5.62 percent for the DoomaTinsukia, Patna, and Ramgarh previous month and 7.62 percent during recorded the maximum increase of 4 points the corresponding month of the previous each. Among others, 3 points increase was year,” a labor ministry statement said. observed in 9 centers, 2 points in 24 Similarly, it stated that food inflation stood centers, and 1 point in 33 centers. The rest at 8.21 percent in October against 7.51 of the 19 centers’ indices remained percent of the previous month (September stationary. Commenting on the index, 2020) and 8.60 percent during the Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar said, corresponding month (October 2019) a “The increase in CPI-IW will have a year ago. The all-India Consumer Price positive effect on wages/salaries of Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) for industrial workers engaged in the October 2020 increased by 1.4 points and organized sector besides government stood at 119.5 points. On one-month employees and pensioners.” percentage change, it increased by (+) 1.19 The CPI-IW is the single-most-important percent between September and October price statistics that have financial 2020 compared to (+) 0.93 percent implications. It is primarily used to increase between corresponding months of regulate the dearness allowance of the previous year. The maximum upward government employees and workers in pressure in the current index came from industrial sectors. It is also used in the 2 fixation and revision of minimum wages in October was about 90% of the mop-up in scheduled employments besides measuring the year-ago month. the inflation in retail prices. In FY20, the tax devolution to states was a little over Rs 1 lakh crore less than in the previous year at Rs 6.5 lakh crore. According to Icra, the shareable tax pool may turn out to be Rs 13.4 lakh crore in FY21, 30% lower than the budgeted amount of Rs 19.1 lakh crore. The agency also projected the central tax devolution to Centre cuts tax transfers to states by a the state governments at about Rs 5 lakh fifth in October crore (after adjusting for the Centre’s extra 30-11-2020 transfers of Rs 48,400 crore in FY20) in FY21, as against Rs 7.8 lakh crore budget. espite a sharp revenue slump, As such, the 14th Finance Commission the Centre transferred budgeted period (FY16-FY20) hadn’t proved to be amounts to state governments D as gainful to states as expected. Despite the as their tax share from the divisible pool in commission awarding an unprecedented April-May, but has since found this spike of 10 percentage points (32% to practice unsustainable – October transfers 42%) to states in their share of the were a fifth less than envisaged in Budget, divisible pool, the total transfers during the at Rs 37,233 crore. To be sure, many states commission’s award period increased at have in recent months seen a rise in their barely the same rate during the 12th tax revenues (OTR) from the lows Finance Commission period when the witnessed in the lockdown period. From devolution rate was increased by just 1 the range of 25-50% of normal in May, the PPS. The overall decline in tax revenue OTR of most states in October either growth has impacted the devolution. surpassed or was at par with the same in Increased use of the cess/surcharge route the year-ago month. Information gathered by the Centre since the 14th FC award has by FE shows that Karnataka collected Rs also resulted in a decline in states’ share in 9,272 crore as OTR in October, up 14% on the Centre’s gross tax receipts (including the year and Rajasthan garnered Rs 5,544 cess/surcharge proceeds) in recent years. crore (up 25%). Kerala’s tax collection in As a percentage of Centre’s gross tax receipts, tax transfers to states had jumped 3 from 28% in FY13 to 35% in FY16 but has since fallen to 32.4% in FY20. The customary pattern is the Centre makes adjustments on state tax transfers based on actual receipts only during February- March, the final two months of a financial year. Till then the states get their shares as "The Modi Government has persecuted the budgeted. However, given the farmers. First, it brought Black Laws and extraordinary situation due to Covid-19, then used lathis against them but it forgot the adjustments this year started earlier. that when the farmer raises his voice, it resonates throughout the country. You also raise your voice against the Exploitation of Farmers and join the #SpeakUpForFarmers campaign," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. "The farmers of the Country have come to Delhi in the cold leaving his home and fields to voice his protest against the Black Agriculture Laws. In this battle of truth CONGRESS LAUNCHES SOCIAL and untruth with whom do you stand - the MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT 'Annadata' (food-giving) farmer or the FOR AGITATING FARMERS PM's capitalist friends," Gandhi said in 30-11-2020 another tweet. he Congress on Monday The Former Congress Chief said wherever (30.11.2020) launched a Social these farmers are protesting; the people T Media Campaign to support the and Congress workers should stand in their farmers protesting against the Centre's new support and provide them food. Farm Laws headed with Party Leader "The question is why the farmer out on the Rahul Gandhi. roads, traveling thousands of kilometers is and is stalling traffic. PM Modi says the three farm laws are in favor of the farmer, but if these laws are in the farmer's favor, 4 why is he not happy and why is he who are agitating on the roads against the protesting," asked the Congress leader. Farm Laws. "These laws are for Narendra Modi's two- Farmers, who had reached the three friends and are aimed at stealing NirankaraiSamagam Ground in Burari on from the farmers. That is why we all have Saturday, continued their protest there to together stand with the strength of India while traffic continued to be disrupted in - the farmer," he said. the city due to the protests. He also shared an over one-minute-long CONGRESS REMAINS STRONG IN video as part of the campaign in which the TAMIL NADU Congress party asked the government to 01-12-2020 listen to the grievances of the farmers and not use force against them. ongress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday (30.11.2020) said even Congress general secretary Priyanka though the National Party had Gandhi Vadra also joined the C not been in power in Tamil Nadu for the #SpeakUpForFarmers campaign and last 50 years, it continued to remain a shared the same video highlighting the strong movement and it could further be plight of the farmers. strengthened by intensive fieldwork by the The Congress on its official Twitter handle party cadres. demanded that the government must stop the alleged violence and atrocities against the farmers who are exercising their right to protest. A host of party leaders including P L Punia, Tariq Anwar, Shashi Tharoor, Salman Khurshid, Mohan Prakash, and Interacting with leaders of the Tamil Nadu Sunil Jakhar also spoke in support of the Congress Committee (TNCC) via video, farmers and urged the government to Gandhi called upon party functionaries to redress their grievances. work “To provide relief to the people of The Congress has launched a day-long Tamil Nadu, who have been affected by Online Campaign in support of the farmers the AIADMK government”. 5 He advised the Congress leaders to abide meeting will be held in Chennai on by the party’s stand and insisted to “Take December 03.12.2020. action against those violating party The government puts off penalty discipline. Positive thinking among leaders provision for not using QR codes on is the need of the hour,” he said. GST invoices Explaining the details of the meeting, 01-12-2020 TNCC president K.S. Alagiri said various issues, including the 2021 Assembly poll, he lack of preparedness from the the selection of constituencies, and the banks has forced the government strengthening of the Secular Progressive T to waive off the proposed penalty Alliance in the State, came up for for not implementing dynamic QR codes discussion.