Polity (PRE-Cure)

April 2020 - March 2021

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Also Available: Prelims Crash Course || Prelims Test Series T.me/SleepyClasses Table of Contents Links to the videos on YouTube ...... 1 32. GARUD Portal ...... 18 1. Punjab Village and Small Towns Act 3 33. Samudra Setu ...... 18 2. Sections 269 & 270 IPC ...... 3 34. Online Summit of NAM Contact Group 3. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana 18 3 35. “The Saras Collection” on the 4. New Domicile Rules for J&K ...... 5 Government e-Marketplace Portal 19 5. Medical Devices notifed as Drugs 5 36. Dilution of Labour Laws ...... 20 6. NPPA ...... 6 37. Data sharing under Arogya Setu Act 20 7. Lifeline UDAN ...... 6 38. Shetkar Committee recommendations 8. Stranded in Portal ...... 6 accepted ...... 21 9. PM CARES Fund ...... 6 39. GOAL Programme ...... 22 10. PMNRF ...... 7 40. Project Arth Ganga ...... 23 11. National Security Act ...... 7 41. One Nation, One Channel- Education 12. MPLAD Scheme ...... 8 Initiatives ...... 23 13. Arogya Setu ...... 9 42. National Test Abhyaas App ...... 24 14. Zoomraiding ...... 9 43. Nationwide rollout of ‘One Nation, One 15. Dekho Apna Desh ...... 9 Ration Card’ System ...... 24 16. e-NAM ...... 10 44. Surveys delayed cause data vacuum 25 17. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi 45. Changes proposed in Companies Act Pariyojana ...... 10 25 18. YUKTI ...... 10 46. Mission SAGAR ...... 26 19. Swachhata App ...... 11 47. Katkari Tribe ...... 27 20. Immunity Passports ...... 11 48. Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana 27 21. Containment Zones in India ...... 11 49.PIL to exclude India from country’s name 22. UAPA Amendment Act 2019 ...... 12 28 23. Supreme Court on NEET and Minority 50.CHAMPIONS Platform ...... 28 Rights ...... 13 51.PM CARES is not a public authority under 24. Supreme Court Guidelines on lynching RTI Act ...... 29 13 52.Secrecy of Ballot ...... 29 25. 47 years of Keshvananda Bharati 53.PM Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan ...30 Judgement ...... 14 54.Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana ...... 30 26. Nomination to Legislative Council of 55.USA Sanctions against the International State ...... 14 Criminal Court ...... 31 27. Vigilance Commissioner appointed 15 56. UNSC Non-Permanent Membership 32 28. National Infrastructure Pipeline ..16 57.Kholongchu Hydropower Project ...... 33 29. Kisan Rath App ...... 16 58.Navigating the new normal ...... 33 30. Jal Shakti Abhiyan ...... 16 59.PM Formalisation of Micro Food 31. India’s Permanent Mission to United Enterprises (PM FME) ...... 34 Nations ...... 17 60.Attorney General of India ...... 34 www.sleepyclasses.com Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses

61. drops India from Chabahar rail 89.NCDC Ayushman Sahakar Fund for project ...... 34 creation of healthcare infrastructure by 62.Padmanabhaswamy Temple Judgement cooperatives ...... 51 35 90.NHRC Completes 27 Years ...... 53 63.Election Commission and Delay in 91. launches Mission Shakti for Elections ...... 35 security of women in the state ...... 54 64.Disabled and SC/ST Quota ...... 36 92.GovTech- Thon ...... 55 65.Consumer Protection Act, 2019 ...... 36 93.Electoral bonds will be up for sale from 19 66.Postal Ballot and Bihar Elections ...... 37 October ...... 56 67.Delimitation in NE states Illegal ...... 37 94.NHRC ...... 56 68.ICJ and Qatar ...... 38 95.CVC amends SOP for adoption of Integrity 69.Gram Panchayat Administrator ...... 38 Pact in govt. organisations ...... 57 70.Contempt of Court ...... 39 96.The government has 71.Extradition ...... 40 withdrawn “general consent” given to the 72.China & Bhutan ...... 40 CBI to probe cases in the state...... 58 73.National Health ID System ...... 41 97.SEC moves HC against govt ...... 59 74.PMO denies RTI on PM-CARES ...... 42 98.Andhra CM’s allegations against a SC 75.Electoral Bond Scheme ...... 43 judge ...... 59 76. and Open API Service .43 99.Data Protection Bill and Amazon ...... 60 77.Drinking Water Supply Quality 100.New Nursing Act ...... 61 Management System ...... 43 101.Legislation on ‘freedom of religion’ .62 78.Israel-UAE Peace Deal ...... 44 102.All insults not offence under SC/ST Act: 79.BRICS Anti-Drug Working Group ...... 44 Supreme Court ...... 63 80.Offcial Secrets Act: The anti-spying law 45 103.Haryana clears Bill on right to recall 81.Covid-19 patients, elderly can vote in panchayat member ...... 64 elections via postal ballot ...... 45 104.Breach of privilege ...... 66 82.AYUSH Grid to Operationally Integrate 105.Vital statistics of India based on the Civil With National Digital Health Mission 46 Registration System- 2018 ...... 67 83.The Code on Social Security 2020 ....47 106.Accused has right to ‘default’ bail if 84.IIM Kozhikode to launch e-learning hub investigation not completed in time: for villagers ...... 48 Supreme Court ...... 68 85.IFFCO, Prasar Bharati sign MoU to 107.What is contempt of court, and why does broadcast & promote new agriculture the A-G have to consent to these technology & innovations ...... 49 proceedings...... 69 86. to launch 'Digital Seva Setu' 108.India, ASEAN to expand trade despite phase-I in villages ...... 49 RCEP walkout ...... 71 87.SWAMITVA scheme ...... 50 109.UAE to extend ‘golden’ visa’s eligibility 88.ISLRTC, NCERT Sign MoU to Convert criteria ...... 72 Educational Materials into Indian Sign 110.Kerala’s law to curb abusive content 72 Language ...... 50 111.Election Commission and party symbols 74 T.me/SleepyClasses 112.Matritva Poshan Yojana ...... 75 138.Jharkhand Launches Cyber Crime 113.Winter Session of Parliament ...... 76 Prevention Scheme ...... 108 114.Chandigarh: Punjab and Haryana ..77 139. wants to join Trilateral 115.J&K’s Roshni Act ...... 78 Highway ...... 108 116.U.P. Unlawful Religious Conversion 140.Assam’s Bill to Abolish State-Run Prohibition , 2020 ...... 79 Madrassas ...... 109 117.President’s powers to pardon- in US, 141.Madhya Pradesh Conversion Law ..110 India ...... 82 142.Election Commission to push for 118.One Nation, One Election ...... 83 absentee vote, digi-ID, new service rules 119.Essential Services Maintenance Act 84 112 120.CCTVs in offces of CBI, ED, police 143.Argentina’s Legalisation Of Abortion stations ...... 85 113 121.NRIs could soon be able to vote via post. 144.HUL’s Policy To Help Staff Facing Abuse 86 114 122.Convicted Legislators cannot be barred 145.India to open missions in Estonia, for life from contesting polls ...... 87 Paraguay and the Dominican Republic 123.Hold fresh polls where NOTA got most 116 votes ...... 88 146.3 States, 3 Anti-conversion Laws ....116 124.CLMV Conclave ...... 89 147.Vertical And Horizontal Reservations 125.Sahyogini Matru Samitis (SMS) ...... 90 118 126.Maharashtra Police to use software to 148.Clear Stand On Same-sex Marriages crack down on child porn ...... 91 120 127.Karnataka Assembly passes anti-cow 149.Confessions Before Priests ...... 121 slaughter Bill ...... 92 150.'Institutions Of Eminence' Campuses In 128.Shakti Act, 2020 ...... 94 Foreign Countries ...... 122 129.France’s draft law against ‘Islamism’ 95 151.Supreme Court’s Ruling On Farm Laws 130.Three Capitals Of .96 123 131.Criticism of Maharashtra Shakti Bill, 152.Jharkhand Combined Civil Services 2020 ...... 97 Examination Rules 2021 ...... 124 132.New Tribunal for Krishna Water Sharing 153.First U.S. President To Be Impeached Between Andhra, Telangana ...... 98 Twice ...... 126 133.World Bank approves four India projects 154.8 Point Agenda To UN Security Council 100 By India ...... 127 134.Morocco-Israel deal ...... 101 155.Russia withdraws from Open Skies 135.Multilingual Call Centre For Aqua Treaty ...... 128 Farmers ...... 104 156.Supreme Court directive on quota in 136.CIC Reverses Own Order On Electoral promotions ...... 130 Bonds ...... 105 157.Increasing women’s marriage age ...131 137.Provisions Regarding Advisory Board For 158.US to resume WHO funding ...... 133 Wages Code ...... 106 159.U.S. to review Houthi terrorist label 135 www.sleepyclasses.com Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses

160.Provision of Act to suspend Internet 182.Reservation of seats for SCs, STs and 139 OBCs in local bodies ...... 162 161.Election Commission Rolls Out Digital 183.Government planning to establish All- Voter Identity Card ...... 140 India judicial service ...... 163 162.Agreement for fnancial support to 184.Freedom in the World 2021: Democracy STARS project ...... 142 under Siege ...... 164 163.India Announces Pledge Of $1,50,000 185.International North South Transport To UN Peacebuilding Fund ...... 143 Corridor ...... 165 164.US-Taliban deal ...... 144 186.India reaffrms Lanka defence ties ..166 165.Government likely to postpone census to 187.Supreme Court asks government to 2022 ...... 145 respond on plea for district medical boards 166.Schools under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan 168 to be renamed after Subhas Chandra Bose. 188.Govt. staff should not be appointed as 145 Election Commissioners, says Supreme 167.National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) Court ...... 169 Project ...... 146 189.Supreme Court seeks govt.’s response on 168.The Maharashtra-Karnataka border plea against Places of Worship Act .....170 dispute ...... 148 190.One Nation One Ration Card System 169.India falls to 53rd position in EIU's 171 Democracy Index ...... 149 191.Annual democracy report ...... 172 170.AP HC sets aside SEC order restraining 192.No-trust vote ...... 173 minister...... 150 171.Vijayanagara became Karnataka’s 31st district ...... 151 172.Urban Local Bodies (ULB) reforms ..151 173.Law on draping Tricolour over body of a deceased ...... 152 174.Columbia granted temporary legal status to Venezuelans ...... 153 175.Pey Jal Survekshan 2021 ...... 154 176.Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) 154 177.Amendments to The Juvenile Justice Act 156 178.Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala appointed WTO Director- General ...... 157 179.Haryana’s Quota Law ...... 159 180.Government amends Insurance Ombudsman Rules ...... 160 181.Expressing views different from govt’s not sedition-SC ...... 161 T.me/SleepyClasses Links to the videos on YouTube • Video 1 • Video 2 • Video 3 • Video 4 • Video 5 • Video 6 • Video 7 • Video 8 • Video 9 • Video 10 • Video 11 • Video 12 • Video 13 • Video 14 • Video 15 • Video 16 • Video 17 • Video 18 • Video 19 • Video 20 • Video 21 • Video 23 • Video 24 • Video 25 • Video 26 • Video 27 • Video 28 • Video 29 • Video 30 • Video 31 Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 1 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Video 32 • Video 34 • Video 35 • Video 36 • Video 37 • Video 38 • Video 39

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 2 T.me/SleepyClasses 1. Punjab Village and Small Towns Act • On March 27, authorities in Panchkula invoked an otherwise redundant British-era law, titled the “Punjab Village and Small Towns Act”, to curtail people’s movement during the lockdown. The law was frst enacted in 1918 in erstwhile Punjab to make provisions for nightly patrol duty by inhabitants of small villages and towns in cases of emergency.

Details • Under this Act, if the Deputy Commissioner of a district in Punjab or Haryana is of the opinion that in a village, special measures need to be taken to secure public safety, he has the power to make an order requiring all “able-bodied adult male inhabitants” to patrol the village. The time period of the applicability of the order is up to the Deputy Commissioner and the maximum time period is up to one year. • The Deputy Commissioner shall have power to alter the number of persons required for patrol duty and the method of their selection, and shall inform the village panchayat of his decision. The aim of the patrol in the present case is to keep a watch on people entering villages without a valid pass and to make sure villagers follow norms. The order, which was put in place on March 27, will remain in force until May 30, 2020, until otherwise revoked or cancelled. • Those who are not following the provisions will be liable under sections 9 and 11 of the Act, which means they may have to pay a fne imposed by the village panchayat or a fne imposed by the deputy commissioner, not exceeding Rs 100.

2. Sections 269 & 270 IPC • During the COVID-19 outbreak, penal provisions, such as Sections 188, 269 and 270 of the (IPC), are being invoked to enforce the lockdown orders in various states. Sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) come under Chapter XIV of the Indian Penal Code– ‘Of Offences Affecting The Public Health, Safety, Convenience, Decency and Morals’. • While Section 269 provides for a jail term of six months and/or fne, Section 270 provides for a jail term of two years and/or fne. In Section 270, the word ‘malignantly’ indicates a deliberate intention on the part of the accused. During the coronavirus outbreak, penal provisions, such as Sections 188, 269 and 270 of the IPC, are being invoked to enforce the lockdown orders in various states. • The sections have a colonial history. In an 1886 case at the , a person was held guilty under Section 269 for travelling by train despite suffering from cholera. Another person who bought the train ticket was held guilty for abetment of the offence of the former.

3. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana • Finance Minister announced a Rs 1.70 lakh crore ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana’ relief package to alleviate the distress of those least equipped to bear the cost of staying at home for the larger public interest of battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are 5 major components of the PMGKY targeting: 1. Medical insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh for all health workers (doctors, paramedics, Asha workers etc.) treating patients.

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2. Help for the poor and those engaged in the unorganised sector.

3. Help for the poor engaged in the organised sector.

4. Help for construction workers.

5. Use the money already available in the “district(-level) mineral fund” to pay for medical testing and screening for the coronavirus.

The package includes the following relief measures in detail: • The increased entitlement of foodgrains supplied through the public distribution system (PDS) is a major intervention beneftting around 80 crore people. Currently, the PDS provides 5 kg of cereals per person per month at Rs 2/kg and Rs 3/kg for wheat and rice, respectively. That is 25 kg for a family of fve. • Under the package, an additional 5 kg of wheat or rice would be given per person per month, free of cost. Additionally, families will get 1 kg of pulses per month. • The government announced 6 types of additional cash transfers. These are: ✓Rs 2,000 per farmer to 9 crore farmers under the PM-KISAN scheme.

✓An additional Rs 1,000 per month pension for the next 3 months for those receiving old age, widow or disability pensions. This is one-time payment; in other words, it does not mean their basic pensions have been raised. This is expected to help 3 crore benefciaries.

✓Rs 500 per month will be transferred for the next 3 months to women holding a Jan Dhan bank account. This is expected to help 20 crore women.

✓Over 8 crore women who are registered benefciaries under Ujjwala Yojana will get one LPG cylinder per month for the next three months. While this is not exactly a cash transfer, these cylinders will be free of cost.

✓Women Self Help Groups across the country — roughly around 63 lakh of them — can now take collateral-free loans up to Rs 20 lakh instead of the existing limit of Rs 10 lakh. This too, is not a cash transfer, rather an enabling provision for receiving higher credit.

✓Wages paid for manual labour under MGNREGA have been increased from Rs 180 per day to Rs 202 per day. According to the FM, this move will help 5 crore households (since only one person per household can avail of employment under MGNREGA) and enable them to earn Rs 2,000 as additional income. However, the work needs to be done in a manner that ensures social distancing. • To alleviate the economic distress of construction workers, the government has asked state governments to use the money — roughly Rs 31,000 crore — already available in a welfare fund for construction workers. • Further the government is also aiming to help those in the organised sector through Employees’ Provident Fund in two ways:

✓Under the frst provision, the GoI will pay the EPF contributions — 12% of the basic salary — of both the employees and the employers for the next three months. However, this move applies only to about 4 lakh frms where the total number of employees is less than 100, and where 90 per cent of the employees earn less than Rs 15,000 per month.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 4 T.me/SleepyClasses ✓Secondly, the government has amended the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) regulations to enable workers to withdraw a nonrefundable advance from their EPF accounts. This amount is, however, limited to 75 per cent of the total money in one’s EPF account, or one’s salary for three months, whichever is lower.

4. New Domicile Rules for J&K New rules for claiming domicile in Jammu and Kashmir have been issued by the Centre on March 31st 2020. Before August 5 2019, Article 35 A of the (now abrogated) empowered J&K assembly to defne a J&K resident, who alone were eligible to apply for jobs or own immovable property. The new rules now offer domicile to: • In the latest gazette notifcation, Section 3A of the J&K Reorganisation (Adaptation of State Laws) Order 2020, under the J&K civil services (decentralisation and recruitment) Act, has been introduced to defne domicile as that “who has resided for a period of ffteen years in the UT of J&K or has studied for a period of seven years and appeared in class 10th/12th examination in an educational institution located in the UT of J&K.” • The defnition within the gazette expands to include “children of those central government offcials, all India services offcers, offcials of PSUs and autonomous body of central government, public sector banks, offcials of statutory bodies, offcials of central universities and recognised research institutes of central government who have served in Jammu and Kashmir for a total period of ten years or children on parents who fulfl any of the conditions in sections.” • Additionally, persons registered as a migrant by the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants) in the UT of J&K, will also be included in the defnition. “Children of such residents of J&K as reside outside UT of J&K in connection with their employment or business or other professional or vocational reasons” but their parents fulfl any of the conditions provided earlier.

The provisions of the Act authorise the Tehsildar as competent authority for issuing the domicile certifcate, as opposed to deputy commissioner or any offcer specially notifed by the state government by way of a gazette notifcation in the form of a SRO. 29 state laws have been repealed while 109 have been amended. Section 5A states that no person shall be eligible for appointment to a post carying a pay scale for not more than level 4 “unless he is a domicile of UT of J&K.” Through the same order, the Centre has repealed the the J&K civil services (special provisions) Act.

5. Medical Devices notifed as Drugs • The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority stated that all medical devices shall be governed under the provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 (DPCO, 2013) w.e.f. 1st April 2020. Thus, with effect from 1st April, 2020, all Medical Devices shall be regulated by the Government as Drugs for quality control and price monitoring. • Government is regulating 24 class of medical devices which have been notifed/regulated as drugs under Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945. Of the above, 4 medical devices viz. (i) Cardiac Stents (ii) Drug Eluting Stents (iii) Condoms and (iv) Intra Uterine Device (Cu-T) are scheduled medical devices for which ceiling prices have been fxed. • These 4 medical devices are under price control. As regard remaining non-scheduled medical devices which are notifed/regulated as drugs, NPPA is currently monitoring Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs)

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under Para 20 of the DPCO, 2013 to ensure that no manufacturer/importers can increase the price more than ten percent in preceding twelve months.

6. NPPA • The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is a government regulatory agency that controls the prices of pharmaceutical drugs in India. • National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) was constituted vide Resolution dated 29th August, 1997 as an attached offce of the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers as an independent Regulator for pricing of drugs and to ensure availability and accessibility of medicines at affordable prices. • The NPPA regularly publishes lists of medicines and their maximum ceiling prices. 7. Lifeline UDAN • As part of India’s war against COVID-19, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India has launched “Lifeline Udan” fights for movement of medical and essential supplies across the country and beyond. Under this initiative, 62 Lifeline Udan fights have been operated during the fve day period from 26th to 30th March 2020, transporting over 15.4 tons of essential medical supplies. 45 out of the 62 fights have been operated by Air India and Alliance Air. • The carriers involved in Lifeline Udan operations include Air India, Alliance Air, (IAF) and Pawan Hans. Support is being provided by Airports Authority of India (AAI), AAICLAS (cargo and logistics subsidiary of AAI), AI Airports Services (AIASL), PPP airports and private ground handling entities. Private carriers like IndiGo, Spicejet and Blue Dart are operating medical cargo fights on a commercial basis. • The Lifeline Udan fights are planned using a hub and spoke model. Cargo hubs have been established at Delhi, , , Bangalore and Kolkata. Lifeline Udan fights connect these hubs to each other and therefrom to different parts of the country.

8. Stranded in India Portal • The Ministry of , Government of India, with an aim to extend support to the foreign tourists who are stranded in India, has come up with a portal to disseminate information regarding the services that can be availed by foreign tourists who are stuck far away from their home land. • The portal is titled ‘Stranded in India’ and aims to act as a support network for foreign tourists stuck in various parts of the country.

9. PM CARES Fund • The Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) was created on 28 March 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The fund will be used for combating, containment and relief efforts against the coronavirus outbreak and similar pandemic like situations in the future. The Prime Minister is the chairman of the trust. Members will include the defence, home and fnance ministers. • The fund will also enable micro-donations. The minimum donation accepted for the PM CARES Fund is ₹10. The donations will be tax exempt and fall under corporate social responsibility. he PM CARES www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 6 T.me/SleepyClasses fund is different from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF), which was created in 1948 and has been used by the Government of India ever since, for example during the recent 2013 North India foods, the 2015 foods and the 2019 Kerala foods.

10. PMNRF • Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) in India is the fund raised to provide support for people affected by natural and man-made disasters. Natural disasters covered under this include food, cyclone, earthquake etc. Man-made disasters include major accidents, acid attacks, riots etc. The fund is also allotted to the people for treatment like cancer, kidney transplantation, heart surgery etc. • India’s independence witnessed partition that resulted in mass violence and people were moving across borders in all means. Thus to support the displaced people from Pakistan Jawaharlal Nehru created a fund collected from public in January 1948. The fund is fully collected from the public and has no budgetary allocation from the government. The fund collected is exempted from income tax to drive more people into the initiative. • Chairman of the fund is the Prime Minister and he is assisted by joint secretary. The whole of the fund is deposited with scheduled commercial banks and the benefciaries are identifed directly by the Prime Minister from among the benefciaries. The fund is recognized as a Trust under the Income Tax Act and the same is managed by Prime Minister or multiple delegates for national causes. PMNRF operates from the Prime Minister’s Offce. • Contributions fowing out of budgetary sources of Government or from the balance sheets of the public sector undertakings are not accepted. Conditional contributions, where the donor specifcally mentions that the amount is meant for a particular purpose, are not accepted in the Fund.

11. National Security Act • The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently said the National Security Act (NSA) would be invoked against persons involved in the alleged late night attack on two policemen who were trying to enforce the lockdown in Itwara locality in old Bhopal. • The NSA Act 1980 has its roots in the colonial era. In 1818, Bengal Regulation III was enacted to empower the British government to arrest anyone for maintenance of public order without giving the person recourse to judicial proceedings. In 1919, the Rowlatt Act allowed confinement without a trial. The Jallianwalla Bagh tragedy was a direct result of the protest against these Rowlatt Act. • Post-independence, Indira Gandhi introduced the controversial Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) in 1971, which was similar to the Rowlatt Act. It was repealed in 1977, and eventually the National Security Act (NSA) 1980 was promulgated. As per the Act, a person can be detained for up to 12 months without a charge. A person can be held for 10 days without being told the charges against them. The person can appeal before a high court advisory board but will not be allowed a lawyer during the trial. • The National Security Act is an act that empowers the government to detain a person if the authorities are satisfied that he/she is a threat to national security or to prevent him/her from disrupting public order. Key points under National Security Act are:

1. The act allows preventive detention for months

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2. States or Centre can detain a people from acting in manner prejudicial to India's security

3. A person can be detained if he/she is a threat to India's relations with foreign countries

4. The Act is invoked to maintain public law and order

5. It empowers the government to detain foreigners and regulate his/her presence or expel him/her from India

6. The provisions in the Act are is re-notified every quarter • Article 22 (1) of the Indian Constitution says an arrested person cannot be denied the right to consult, and to be defended by, a legal practitioner of his choice. According to Section 50 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC), any person arrested has to be informed of the grounds of arrest and has the right to bail. However, under National Security Act, none of these rights are available to the person detained. The government holds the right to conceal information which it considers to be against public interest to disclose. The detained person is not entitled to any legal aid. Moreover, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which collects crime data in India, does not include cases under the NSA as no FIRs are registered.

12. MPLAD Scheme • The Modi cabinet on April 6 2020 gave its nod to the temporary suspension of MPLAD Funds during 2020-21 and 2021-22 in view of the adverse impact of the outbreak of COVID-19 in India. The consolidated amount of MPLAD Funds for 2 years – Rs 7,900 crores – will go to Consolidated Fund of India. • The Cabinet has approved an ordinance to reduce the salaries, allowances and pensions of Members of Parliament (MPs), including the Prime Minister, by 30 per cent for one year and the amount would be utilised in the fight against coronavirus. • The Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) is a programme first launched during the Narasimha Rao Government in 1993, aimed towards providing funds for developmental works recommended by individual MPs. The MPs were entitled to recommend works to the tune of Rs 1 crore annually between 1994-95 and 1997-98, after which the annual entitlement was enhanced to Rs 2 crore. The UPA government in 2011-12 raised the annual entitlement to Rs 5 crore per MP. • According to the document ‘Guidelines on Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS)’ published by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in June 2016, “The objective of the scheme is to enable MPs to recommend works of developmental nature with emphasis on the creation of durable community assets based on the locally felt needs be taken up in their Constituencies. Right from inception of the Scheme, durable assets of national priorities viz. drinking water, primary education, public health, sanitation and roads, etc. are being created.” • The guidelines recommend MPs to suggest works costing at least 15 per cent of their MPLADS entitlement for the year for areas inhabited by Scheduled Caste population and 7.5 per cent for areas inhabited by ST population. To implement their plans in an area, MPs have to recommend them to the District Authority of the respective Nodal District. The District Authorities then identify Implementing Agencies which execute the projects.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 8 T.me/SleepyClasses • The respective District Authority is supposed to oversee implementation, and has to submit monthly reports, audit reports, and work completion reports to the Nodal District Authority. • The guidelines lay down a number of development works, including construction of railway halt stations, providing financial assistance to recognised educational bodies, cooperative societies, bar associations, installing CCTV cameras, and rainwater harvesting systems. The MPLADS funds can be merged with other schemes such as MGNREGA and Khelo India. • MPLADS was held constitutionally valid by the Supreme Court in its May 6, 2010 judgment. In July 2019, Deputy Chairman Harivansh wrote to members, seeking their suggestions on how to address various problems plaguing the MPLADS, as pointed out by numerous reports both by Parliamentary Committees and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

13. Arogya Setu • The Arogya Setu app is designed to help control the spread of coronavirus and make its information accessible to the common people. This special app also helps in fnding out corona positive people present nearby. After downloading, this app asks if you have cough, fever or trouble breathing etc. If you do not have any such problem, you will be in the Green Zone. • This app tells user to keep the mobile phone's Bluetooth and location devices on. Whenever the user visits a crowded place, this app keeps sending messages from nearby mobile phones through the Bluetooth. When the user stands near someone who is also a normal it shows green zone. But if that person becomes corona positive after 10 days, this app will alert you immediately. • This app is associated with Digital India for the health and well-being of every Indian has been developed in public-private partnership. Available in 11 languages, the app is designed for use on an all-India basis. The personal data collected by the App is encrypted using state-of-the-art technology and stays secure on the phone till it is needed for facilitating medical intervention.

14. Zoomraiding • The lockdown has forced many to work from home. Unless the organisation has its own infrastructure and uses VPN (virtual private network) for accessing its resources, the use of public platforms may result in loss of confdential data. Recently, the popular videoconferencing app , which can add up to 100 participants in a call, has come across as vulnerable. As the meeting ID can be shared through a link, on screen and other mediums; uninvited guests can also join a meeting and gain access to sensitive information. • When one uses Zoom, it seeks permission for accessing the user’s microphone, web-cam and data storage. This can result in hijacking and loss of private data. Users may also experience ‘Zoomraiding’ or ‘Zoombombing’ in which hate speech, pornography or other content is suddenly fashed by disrupting a video call on Zoom. The Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CERT-In) circulated a ‘vulnerability note’ on February 6, giving Zoom a ‘medium’ security rating.

15. Dekho Apna Desh • Ministry of Tourism has launched its "DekhoApnaDesh" webinar series from April 14 2020 to provide information on the many destinations and the sheer depth and expanse of the culture and heritage of our . The frst webinar, which was part of a series that shall unfold, touched upon the long history of Delhi as it has unfolded as 8 cities, each one unique in its character and leaving behind Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 9 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses

traces which makes Delhi the magnifcent city that it is today. The webinar was titled “City of Cities- Delhi's Personal Diary’. • The series would work towards showcasing the diverse and remarkable history and culture of India including its monuments, cuisine, arts, and dance forms. Natural landscapes, festivals and many other aspects of the rich Indian civilization. The core of the session based itself on tourism awareness and social history and was conducted by the India city walks for Ministry of Tourism

16. e-NAM • The pan-India Agriculture trading portal e-NAM completed four years of implementation on April 14, 2020. Keeping in view the need of making marketing of commodities easier for farmers, e-NAM was envisioned and launched by Prime Minster in 21 mandis on 14th April, 2016 which has now reached 585 mandis across 16 States and 02 UTs. • It is an important tool to enhance farmer’s accessibility digitally to multiple numbers of markets & buyers and to bring transparency in trade transactions with the intent to improve price discovery mechanism, quality commensurate price realization and also to develop the concept of One Nation One Market for agriculture produce. Farmers are free to register on e-NAM portal and they are uploading their produce for sale online to the traders across all e-NAM mandis and traders can bid for the lots available for sale on e-NAM from any location. • In order to de-bottleneck Logistics of Agri Produce and providing adequate and timely transportation facility to the farmers/traders during lockdown period, e-NAM platform has created an Interface with large transport aggregators like Blackbuck, Rivigo, Mavyn, Truck Suvidha, Truck Guru, Transin Logistics, Elastic Run etc. This would help traders to fnd and arrange timely movement of produces from mandi to various other locations.

17. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana • Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) scheme is being run by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India with an objective of providing quality and affordable healthcare to anyone in need. • Mobile application “Jan Aushadhi Sugam” is also available for common public to locate their nearest Janaushadhi Kendra and availability of medicines with its price. • In the lockdown period, Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is continuing to provide affordable medicines as well as is also generating awareness about the pandemic.

18. YUKTI • Union Minister for HRD Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal “Nishank” launched a web-portal YUKTI (Young India Combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology and Innovation) on 12th April 2020. It’s a unique portal and dashboard to monitor and record the efforts and initiatives of MHRD. The portal intends to cover the different dimensions of COVID-19 challenges in a very holistic and comprehensive way. • It will cover the various initiatives and efforts of the institutions in academics, research especially related to COVID, social initiatives by institutions and the measures taken for the betterment of the total well-being of the students. The portal will cover both qualitative and quantitative parameters for effective delivery of services to the academic community at large. He said that portal will also www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 10 T.me/SleepyClasses allow various institutions to share their strategies for various challenges which are there because of the unprecedented situation of COVID-19 and other future initiatives.

19. Swachhata App • The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in April 2020 announced the launch of a revised version of the existing Swachhata-MoHUA App. • Swachhata App serves as an effective digital tool enabling citizens to play an active role in the Swachhata of their cities and increase accountability on the part of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). • The Swachhata-MoHUA App, a highly popular grievance redressal tool for citizens under the ambit of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) already has over 1.7 Crore+ urban users across the country. This app has now been modifed and strengthened further in order to enable citizens to get their COVID- related complaints also redressed by their respective ULBs.

20. Immunity Passports • As countries around the world are struggling to lift lockdowns due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, policymakers are deliberating how to deal with future outbreaks as and when they emerge. Among the ideas being considered is an “immunity certifcate” or “”, whose holders would be able to get back to work. • Under increasing pressure to reopen their economies, parts of Europe and the US have been considering issuing immunity certifcates to people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have its antibodies– thus presumed to be immune to the disease. • People who are issued these certifcates would be allowed to go back to work and move about freely. The idea has also become popular in Italy, where the lockdown exit strategy includes compulsory antibody tests as the country seeks to set up the certifcate system. In some areas of the country’s most-affected northern region, the plan has already been implemented. • Experts have cautioned governments against acting in haste, since much still remains to be understood about the spread of the virus, as well as immunity to it. Lack of necessary information would make categorising between immune and non-immune persons a challenging as well as potentially dangerous task, they insist. At the same time, experts have said that issuing such certifcates would create resentment among members of the community, and raise the possibility of stigmatisation.

21. Containment Zones in India • A containment zone has been defned based on the index case / cluster, which will be the designated epicentre, the listing and mapping of contacts, geographical distribution of cases and contacts around the epicentre and the administrative boundaries within urban cities /town/ rural area. • The RRT (Rapid Response Team) has been advised to do a listing of cases, contacts and their mapping. This is to help in deciding the perimeter for action. The decision of the geographic limit and extent of perimeter control is to be the prerogative of the state government. • Active surveillance in containment zones is being conducted with contact tracing within and outside the containment zone as well. Laboratory capacity for testing all suspect samples is being expanded Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 11 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses

and surge capacities for isolating all suspect / confrmed cases for medical care is being established. Intensive risk communication via door to door surveys by Asha workers has been implemented across country. • Cluster containment strategy refers to contain the disease within a defned geographic area after early detection, breaking the chain of transmission and preventing its spread to new areas. This would include geographic quarantine, social distancing measures, enhanced active surveillance, testing all suspected cases, isolation of cases, home quarantine of contacts, and social mobilisation to follow preventive public health measures. • A buffer zone is an area around the containment zone, where new cases are most likely to appear. There will not be any perimeter control for the buffer zone. Surveillance activities to be followed in the buffer zone will include review of cases of severe respiratory illness reported since cases began to come out in containment zone epicentre by the District Health Offcials to identify any missed case of COVID-19. Enhanced passive surveillance for such cases in the buffer zone through the existing Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme will also begin. All health facilities in the buffer zone will be listed as a part of mapping exercise. Measures such as personal hygiene, hand hygiene, social distancing will be enhanced through enhanced IEC activities in the buffer zone. • In case of a small cluster in closed environment such as in schools, military barracks, hostels or a hospital-the containment zone will be the building itself. A buffer zone of additional 5 Km radius will be identifed. In case of a single cluster in a residential colony, the containment zone would be the administrative boundary of the residential colony and a buffer zone of additional 5 Km radius. • When multiple clusters in communities (residential colony, schools, offces, hospitals etc) within an administrative jurisdiction are identifed, the containment zone would be administrative boundary of the urban district and a buffer zone of neighbouring urban districts as has been done for Jawaharpur in Mohali-Punjab. • If multiple clusters spatially separated in different parts administrative districts of a city originate, the containment zone will be the administrative boundary of city/ town and congruent population in the peri-urban areas as the buffer zone. When a cluster originates in a rural setting, there must be a 3 Km radius of containment zone and an additional 7 Kms radius of buffer zone.

22. UAPA Amendment Act 2019 • Delhi Police has booked Jamia students Meeran Haider and Safoora Zargar under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The UAPA Act of 1967 was amended in 2019. The Act provides special procedures to deal with terrorist activities, among other things. It got Parliamentary approval in August 2019. • Under the original Act, the central government may designate an organisation as a terrorist organisation if it:

✓commits or participates in acts of terrorism,

✓prepares for terrorism,

✓promotes terrorism, or

✓is otherwise involved in terrorism. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 12 T.me/SleepyClasses • The 2019 Amendment additionally empowers the government to designate individuals as terrorists on the same grounds.

23. Supreme Court on NEET and Minority Rights • The Supreme Court on April 29th 2020 declared that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) does not violate the rights of minorities under the Constitution. NEET is the common entrance exam for admission to graduate and postgraduate medical and dental courses in unaided or aided institutes, rules the apex court. • “The rights to administer an institution under Article 30 of the Constitution are not above the law and other Constitutional provisions. Reasonable regulatory measures can be provided without violating such rights available under Article 30,” the SC ruled. • A petition was filed in 2012 that questioned the constitutional validity of NEET. Every year, about 15 lakh students appear for the exam across the country for admission to undergraduate courses. NEET is conducted separately for postgraduate admissions. The counselling and admissions through NEET are administered by the Medical Council of India (MCI), under the Ministry of Health.

24. Supreme Court Guidelines on lynching • The Palghar lynching incident has underlined the issue of mob violence and lynching in the country. In the absence of a uniform, central law, the Supreme Court while hearing the case of Tehseen Poonawalla vs the Union of India on 17 July 2018, gave a detailed order addressing the issue of mob lynching. The court observed, “Mob vigilantism and mob violence have to be prevented by the governments by taking strict action.” • So far, three states have given legislative backing to the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court. Manipur was the frst state to do so followed by and West Bengal. The Manipur government initially promulgated an ordinance in November 2018 and a few days later the state’s legislature passed the Manipur Protection from Mob Violence Act. Rajasthan and West Bengal have used the Manipur law as a template. • The court formulated a three-pronged approach to putting an end to mob lynching. The frst step requires states to take preventive steps to ensure that lynching does not occur. The court’s guidelines mandate the states to identify regions where lynching could occur. The guidelines also prescribe that in every district a senior police offcer should be designated as the nodal offcer to take measures to prevent lynching. • They specify that the nodal offcer should take steps to prevent the creation of a hostile environment against any community or caste. The offcer is also required to prevent the spread of messages or videos that could incite mobs. The guidelines categorically state that every police offcer shall be duty-bound to disperse a mob which may cause lynching. • In case the preventive measures fail, the court’s guidelines prescribe remedial measures which include protection to witnesses, legal aid to victims or next of kin and time-bound completion of judicial proceedings. • The guidelines also direct the states to create a scheme to provide compensation to victims of lynching/mob violence. The fnal step in the court’s approach to curbing lynching is to hold the police or district administration offcers accountable for their negligence in preventing incidents of lynching.

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25. 47 years of Keshvananda Bharati Judgement • 47 years ago in 1973, the Supreme Court passed its landmark judgment in Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala, considered among the most signifcant constitutional cases in India’s judicial history. • By a 7-6 verdict, a 13-judge Constitution Bench ruled that the ‘basic structure’ of the Constitution is inviolable, and could not be amended by Parliament. The basic structure doctrine has since been regarded as a tenet of Indian constitutional law. • In the early years of Independence, the Supreme Court conceded absolute power to Parliament in amending the Constitution, as was seen in the verdicts in Shankari Prasad (1951) and Sajjan Singh (1965). In subsequent years, as the Constitution kept being amended at will to suit the interests of the ruling dispensation, the Supreme Court in Golaknath (1967) held that Parliament’s amending power could not touch Fundamental Rights, and this power would be only with a Constituent Assembly. • In the early 1970s, the government of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had enacted major amendments to the Constitution (the 24th, 25th, 26th and 29th) to get over the judgments of the Supreme Court in RC Cooper (1970), Madhavrao (1970) and the earlier mentioned Golaknath. • In RC Cooper, the court had struck down Indira Gandhi’s bank nationalisation policy, and in Madhavrao Scindia it had annulled the abolition of privy purses of former rulers. • All the four amendments, as well as the Golaknath judgment, came under challenge in the Kesavananda Bharati case– where relief was sought by the religious fgure Swami Kesavananda Bharati against the Kerala government vis-à-vis two state land reform laws. • The Constitutional Bench, whose members shared serious ideological differences, ruled by a 7-6 verdict that Parliament should be restrained from altering the ‘basic structure’ of the Constitution. • The court held that under Article 368, which provides Parliament amending powers, something must remain of the original Constitution that the new amendment would change. • The court did not defne the ‘basic structure’, and only listed a few principles — federalism, secularism, democracy — as being its part. Since then, the court has been adding new features to this concept.

Basic Structure • The doctrine has been seen as an ever evolving one. The ‘basic structure’ doctrine has since been interpreted to include the supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law, Independence of the judiciary, doctrine of separation of powers, federalism, secularism, sovereign democratic republic, the parliamentary system of government, the principle of free and fair elections, welfare state, etc.

26. Nomination to Legislative Council of State • The Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyar is yet to decide whether Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray should be nominated to one of the seats reserved for the Governor’s nominee in the state Legislative Council even after the same was recommended by the Cabinet. • Thackeray took oath on November 28, 2019 — and in accordance with Article 164(4), “a Minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of the Legislature of the State shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a Minister”.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 14 T.me/SleepyClasses • The six month period ends on May 27th. Given the coronavirus pandemic, a by-election cannot be held. The only way to fulfl the requirement, therefore, is for Thackeray to be nominated to the Upper House by the Governor. • In S R Chaudhuri vs State of Punjab and Ors (2001), the Supreme Court had ruled that “it would be subverting the Constitution to permit an individual, who is not a member of the Legislature, to be appointed a Minister repeatedly for a term of ‘six consecutive months’, without him getting himself elected in the meanwhile. The practice would be clearly derogatory to the constitutional scheme, improper, undemocratic and invalid”. • Article 163(1) of the Constitution makes it clear that the Governor must follow the recommendations of the Council of Ministers in all situations “except in so far as he is by or under this Constitution required to exercise his functions or any of them in his discretion”. • Furthermore, the Constitution specifcally mentions the situations in which the Governor can act in his discretion, e.g., Article 239 (Administration of Union Territories), Article 371 (Special provision with respect to the States of Maharashtra and Gujarat), Article 371A (Nagaland), Article 371H (Arunachal Pradesh), and in the Sixth Schedule (Provisions as to the Administration of Tribal Areas in Assam, Meghalaya, and Mizoram), etc. • Under Article 171(5), the Governor can nominate “persons having special knowledge or practical experience in respect of. Literature, science, art, co-operative movement and social service”. As per the Allahabad High Court in Har Sharan Varma vs Chandra Bhan Gupta and Ors (February 15, 1961), even politics can be seen as ‘social service’. • Two Legislative Council seats in the Governor’s quota are currently vacant; however, the terms of these vacancies end on June 6, and a fresh appointment can be made only for the remainder of the term. It has been argued that Section 151A of The Representation of the People Act, 1951, prohibits the flling of a vacancy if “the remainder of the term of a member in relation to a vacancy is less than one year”. However, this cannot be a reason for the Governor to refuse nomination — because the bar is in respect of by-election to fll a vacancy, not nomination.

27. Vigilance Commissioner appointed • Eminent banker Suresh N. Patel on April 29, 2020 took oath as the Vigilance Commissioner in the anti-corruption watchdog CVC which had been lying vacant since June 2019. Mr. Patel’s name to the post was recommended by a high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister in February 2020. • Mr. Patel, aged 62, was a member of the advisory board for banking and fnancial frauds of the Central Vigilance Commission. He resigned from the board after his selection as the vigilance commissioner. • He will have a tenure of over two years, till late December, 2022, in the CVC. The tenure of a vigilance commissioner is of four years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years. The CVC can have a central vigilance commissioner and two vigilance commissioners. Sharad Kumar is working as the other vigilance commissioner. • The CVC is appointed by the president on the recommendation of the committee consisting of the prime minister as its chairperson, and the home minister and the leader of opposition in as its members.

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28. National Infrastructure Pipeline • The Task Force on National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) submitted its Final Report on NIP for FY 2019-25 to the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharamanon April 29, 2020. The Summary Report of the Task Force on National Infrastructure Pipeline for 2019-2025 has already been released by the Finance Minister on December 31st, 2019. • NIP is a frst-of-its-kind, whole-of-government exercise to provide world-class infrastructure across the country, and improve the quality of life for all citizens. It aims to improve project preparation, attract investments (both domestic and foreign) into infrastructure, and will be crucial for target of becoming a $5 trillion economy by FY 2025. • The NIP has been made on a best effort basis by aggregating the information provided by various stakeholders including line ministries, departments, state governments and private sector across infrastructure sub-sectors identifed in the Harmonised Master List of Infrastructure. To draw up the NIP, a bottom-up approach was adopted wherein all projects (Greenfeld or Brownfeld, Under Implementation or under conceptualisation) costing greater than Rs 100 crore per project were sought to be captured.

29. Kisan Rath App • The Agriculture Ministry has introduced a new mobile app for the farmers in India amidst nationwide lockdown. The app will assist Indian farmers and traders transport produced goods during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Kisan Rath app has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and is available to all Android users. • The Kisan Rath mobile app will help facilitate transportation by onboarding 5 lakh trucks and 20,000 tractors on the online service. These networks will be easily accessible to farmers and traders who are looking for vehicles to transport the produced goods from one place to another. • The new mobile platform will also offer different types of transport services including primary transport and secondary transport. The primary service will help farmers or traders to move the goods within the locality; from their farm to the local mandis, warehouses or the collection centres of farmer producer organisations. • The secondary transport will enable them to transport goods from the mandis or warehouses to intra- and inter-State mandis, railway stations, processing units, warehouses or wholesalers. In addition, the app also offers transport services with refrigerators. • Apart from the above features, the app also offers support for language so it can be easily accessed by farmers and traders.

30. Jal Shakti Abhiyan • Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) is a time-bound, mission-mode water conservation campaign. The JSA will run in two Phases: Phase 1 from 1st July to 15th September 2019 for all States and Union Territories; and Phase 2 from 1st October to 30th November 2019 for States and UTs receiving the retreating (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Puducherry and ). • During the campaign, offcers, groundwater experts and scientists from the Government of India will work together with state and district offcials in India’s most water-stressed districts for water www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 16 T.me/SleepyClasses conservation and water resource management by focusing on accelerated implementation of fve target intervention. The JSA aims at making water conservation a Jan Andolan through asset creation and extensive communication. • Water-stressed districts are districts with critical or over-exploited groundwater levels as per the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) 2017. For states without critical and over-exploited groundwater levels, districts with the least availability of groundwater in comparison to the rest of the districts in the state have been selected. • This ‘Abhiyan’ is a mass movement to bring all the stakeholders under one ambit of water conservation drive, and last year it had a nationwide impact. In 2020 ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan’—is all set to combat the Covid 19 health crisis and give a boost to the rural economy through its various components. Ministry of Home Affairs have allowed to take up MNGREGS works/ drinking water & sanitation works during lockdown with priority to be given to irrigation and water conservation works. • Central and State sector schemes in irrigation and water conservation sectors have also been allowed to be implemented with suitable dovetailing with MNREGS works. It will be further ensured that all works are undertaken with strict implementation of social distancing, use of face covers/ masks and other necessary precautions. Rejuvenation of traditional water bodies, removal of encroachments in the water bodies, desilting of lakes & ponds, construction/strengthening of inlets/outlets, catchment area treatment can be taken up on priority. • Similarly, rejuvenation of small rivers through community driven River Basin Management practices may also be initiated. Such activities would ensure water source sustainability in rural areas and would strengthen the ongoing Jal Jeevan Mission being implemented by Ministry of Jal Shakti.

31. India’s Permanent Mission to United Nations • India has appointed diplomat T S Tirumurti, currently serving as Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, as its Permanent Representative to the United Nations. The Permanent Mission is the diplomatic mission that every member state deputes to the United Nations, and is headed by a Permanent Representative, who is also referred to as the “UN ambassador”. • According to Article 1 (7) of the Vienna Convention on the Representation of States in their Relations with International Organizations of a Universal Character, a “Permanent Mission” is a: “… mission of permanent character, representing the State, sent by a State member of an international organization to the Organization”.

✓UN Permanent Representatives are assigned to the UN headquarters in New York City, and can also be appointed to other UN offces in Geneva, Vienna, and Nairobi.

✓According to the website of the Permanent Mission of India in New York, there are currently eight Indians in senior leadership positions at the United Nations at the levels of Under Secretary General and Assistant Secretary General. • The frst Indian delegates at the United Nations included statesman Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar, and freedom fghters Hansa Mehta, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, and Lakshmi Menon. Mehta and Pandit were among the 15 women members of the Indian Constituent Assembly.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 17 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • India was among the select members of the United Nations that signed the United Nations Declaration at Washington on January 1, 1942. India also participated in the historic UN Conference of International Organization at San Francisco from April 25 to June 26, 1945.

32. GARUD Portal • Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have launched the GARUD portal for providing fast track conditional exemptions to government agencies for COVID-19 related RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System)/ drone operations. GARUD is an acronym for ‘Government Authorisation for Relief Using Drones’. • Various offcials at MoCA, DGCA, AAI and NIC were involved in the process. The rules and regulations related to operation of Remotely Piloted Aircraft ("RPA") are covered under Rule 15A of Aircraft Rules, 1937 and Civil Aviation Requirements ("CAR") Section 3 Series X Part I dated 27.8.2018 issued by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

33. Samudra Setu • Indian Navy has launched Operation “Samudra Setu” - meaning “Sea Bridge”, as a part of national effort to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas. Indian Naval Ships Jalashwa and Magar are presently enroute to the port of Malè, Republic of to commence evacuation operations from 08 May 2020 as part of Phase-1. • The Government has been closely monitoring the situation with respect to effect of COVID-19 pandemic on our citizens abroad.

✓The Indian Navy has been directed to make suitable preparations for their evacuation by sea. The ships have been suitably provisioned for the evacuation operation.

✓The evacuated personnel would be provided the basic amenities and medical facilities during the sea-passage. In view of the unique challenges associated with COVID-19 stringent protocols have also been stipulated. • The evacuated personnel will be disembarked at Kochi, Kerala and entrusted to the care of State authorities. This operation is being progressed in close coordination with Ministries of Defence, External Affairs, Home Affairs, Health and various other agencies of the Government of India and State governments.

34. Online Summit of NAM Contact Group • Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the online Summit of Non Aligned Movement (NAM) Contact Group held on the evening of May 4, 2020 to discuss response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic crisis. • The online NAM Contact Group Summit on the theme of "United against COVID-19” was hosted by the current Chairman of NAM, President of Republic of Azerbaijan HE Ilham Aliyev.

✓The objective of the Summit was to promote international solidarity in the fght against the COVID-19 pandemic and to mobilise efforts of States and international organisations to address the pandemic.

✓ The event also commemorated the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 18 T.me/SleepyClasses • PM Modi was joined by over 30 other Heads of State and Government and other leaders, including from member States in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe. Overall, NAM Leaders assessed the impact of COVID-19, identifed needs and requirements for possible remedies and urged action-oriented follow-up measures. • Following the Summit, leaders adopted a Declaration underlining the importance of international solidarity in the fght against COVID-19. Leaders also announced the creation of a ‘Task Force’ to identify needs and requirements of member States through the establishment of a common database refecting their basic medical, social and humanitarian needs in the fght against COVID-19.

35. “The Saras Collection” on the Government e-Marketplace Portal • The Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, launched “The Saras Collection” on the Government e Marketplace (GeM) portal.

✓A unique initiative of GeM and the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development, the Saras Collection showcases daily utility products made by rural self-help groups (SHGs) and aims to provide SHGs in rural areas with market access to Central and State Government buyers. • Under this initiative, the SHG sellers will be able to list their products in 5 product categories, namely 1. Handicrafts,

2. Handloom and textiles,

3. Offce accessories,

4. Grocery and pantry, and

5. Personal care and hygiene. • By providing SHGs with direct access to Government buyers, the Saras Collection will do away with intermediaries in the supply chain, thus ensuring better prices for SHGs and spurring employment opportunities at the local level. This is just the beginning and GeM is delighted at this opportunity to partner the SHGs in their growth story.

About DAY-NRLM • DAY-NLRM aims to reduce poverty through promotion of diversifed and gainful self-employment while creating skilled wage employment opportunities.

✓The scheme supports building social capital and ensuring fnancial linkages to alleviate poverty and enhance the quality of the life of rural poor women. It has ambitious plans on innovations for alternate channels of fnancial inclusion like digital fnance, creating value chains around rural products and improving market access, rural enterprise and strengthening community institutions.

About GeM • Government e Marketplace (GeM) is a 100 percent Government owned Section 8 Company set up as the National Public Procurement Portal for procurement of goods and services required by Central and State Government organizations. Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 19 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses

✓GeM provides an online, end to end solution for procurement of goods and services for all Central Government and State Government Ministries, Departments, Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs), local bodies and autonomous organisations.

✓The platform reduces human interventions in procurement and enables transparency, cost savings, inclusiveness and effciency of faceless standardized public procurement.

36. Dilution of Labour Laws • A number of states such as Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have diluted labour laws through ordinances and executive orders. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab have extended the working hours from eight to 12 without amending the Factories Act. Labour is a concurrent subject under the Constitution of India, states can frame their own laws but need the approval of the Central government. • Uttar Pradesh has suspended all labour laws, except three, for a period of three years. ✓The labour laws related to settling industrial disputes, occupational safety, health and working conditions of workers, and those related to trade unions, contract workers, and migrant labourers will become defunct. However, laws related to bonded labour, deployment of women and children and timely payment of salaries will not be relaxed. • The Madhya Pradesh government, similarly, announced a Cabinet decision to exempt all establishments from obligations under all labour laws for a thousand days. The newly opened industrial units can organise third-party inspections.

✓They will be exempted from the requirement of keeping registers and inspections. And industries can change shifts at their convenience. Further, maintenance of register of adult and child workers and allowing for advance payments will not apply to new units.

✓They can even get away without maintaining cleanliness on premises and ensuring safe disposal of waste and effuents. Units will be exempted for 1,000 days from all provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, except Section 25, which prohibits fnancial aid for illegal strikes and lockouts. • Various workers’ unions affliated to many political parties have decided to lodge a joint complaint with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) against the dilution.

✓Central trade unions claimed these moves as an inhuman crime and brutality on the working people, besides being gross violation of the Right to Freedom of Association [ILO Convention 87], Rights to Collective Bargaining [ILO Convention 98] and also the internationally accepted norm of eight hour working day – espoused by core conventions of ILO.

✓The ILO Convention 144 in regard to tripartism has also been undermined by the government.

37. Data sharing under Arogya Setu Act • The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology issued a data-sharing and knowledge-sharing protocol for the Aarogya Setu app, laying down guidelines for sharing such data with government agencies and third parties. Prior to this, the only legal shield around the mechanism was the app’s privacy policy. • The data collected by the Aarogya Setu app is broadly divided into four categories — demographic data, contact data, self-assessment data and location data. This is collectively called response data. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 20 T.me/SleepyClasses ✓Demographic data includes information such as name, mobile number, age, gender, profession and travel history.

✓Contact data is about any other individual that a given individual has come in close proximity with, including the duration of the contact, the proximate distance between the individuals, and the geographical location at which the contact occurred.

✓Self-assessment data means the responses provided by that individual to the self-assessment test administered within the app.

✓Location data comprises the geographical position of an individual in latitude and longitude. • According to the protocol, the response data containing personal data may be shared by the app’s developer — National Informatics Centre (NIC) — with the Health Ministry, Health Departments of state/Union Territory governments/ local governments, National Disaster Management Authority, state disaster management authorities, other ministries and departments of the central and state governments, and other public health institutions of the central, state and local governments, “where such sharing is strictly necessary to directly formulate or implement an appropriate health response”. • The protocol also lay the ground for sharing the data with any third parties — “only if it is strictly necessary to directly formulate or implement appropriate health responses”. Further, for research purposes, the response data can be shared with Indian universities or research institutions and research entities registered in India. The guidelines also empower universities and research entities to share the data with other such institutions, “only if such sharing is in furtherance of the same purpose for which it has sought approval to access such data from the expert committee”. • The protocol says the response data that can be shared with ministries, government departments and other administrative agencies has to be in de-identifed form. This means that, except for demographic data, the response data must be stripped of information that may make it possible to identify the individual personally; it must be assigned a randomly generated ID. • The protocol also calls for any entity with which the data has been shared to not retain the data beyond 180 days from the day it was collected. The protocol reads back to the Disaster Management Act, 2005 to establish the penalties in case of violation of the protocol. It also has a sunset clause, which calls for the empowered group to review the protocol after six months; unless extended, it will be in force only for six months from the date of issue.

38. Shetkar Committee recommendations accepted • Government has accepted and implemented three important recommendations of Committee of Experts (CoE) under the Chairmanship of Lt General D B Shekatkar (Retd) relating to border Infrastructure. These were related to speeding up road construction, leading to socio economic development in the border areas. • On the matter related to creating border infrastructure, the Government has implemented recommendation of CoE to outsource road construction work beyond optimal capacity of Border Roads Organisation (BRO). It has been made mandatory to adopt Engineering Procurement Contract (EPC) mode for execution of all works costing more than Rs 100 crore. • The other recommendation relating to introduction of modern construction plants, equipment and machinery has been implemented by delegating enhanced procurement powers from Rs 7.5 crore to Rs 100 crore to BRO, for domestic and foreign procurements. Border Roads has recently inducted Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 21 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses

Hot-Mix Plant 20/30 TPH for speedier laying of roads, remote operated hydraulic Rock Drills DC-400 R for hard rock cutting, a range of F-90 series of self-propelled snow-cutters/blowers for speedier snow clearance. • New Technology like blasting technology for precision blasting, use of Geo-Textiles for soil stabilisation, cementitious base for pavements, plastic coated aggregates for surfacing, is also being used to enhance the pace of construction. With the empowerment of feld offcers through enhanced delegation of fnancial and administrative powers, there has been signifcant improvement in faster fnancial closure of works. • The land acquisition and all statutory clearances like forest and environmental clearance are also made part of approval of Detailed Project Report (DPR). Further, with the adoption of EPC mode of execution, it is mandatory to award work only when 90 per cent of the statutory clearances have been obtained, implementing the recommendation of CoE regarding obtaining prior clearances before the commencement of the project.

EPC Model • Under this system the entire project is funded by the government. • The EPC entails the contractor build the project by designing, installing and procuring necessary labour and land to construct the infrastructure, either directly or by subcontracting. • Under EPC model the contractor is legally responsible to complete the project under some fxed predetermined timeline and may also involve scope for penalty in case of time overrun. • In EPC as all the clearances, land acquisition and regulatory norms have to be completed by the government itself and the private players do not have to get itself involved in these time taking procedures.

39. GOAL Programme • The Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the “GOAL (Going Online As Leaders)” programme. The GOAL programme is designed to provide mentorship to tribal youth through digital mode. The digitally enabled program envisages to act as a catalyst to explore hidden talents of the tribal youth, which will help in their personal development as well as contribute to all-round upliftment of their society. • The program intends to up skill and empower 5,000 tribal youths in the current phase to harness the full potential of digital platforms and tools to learn new ways of doing business, explore and connect with domestic and international markets as is the vision of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. • In this program, 5000 scheduled tribe youth (to be called as ‘Mentees’) will get an excellent opportunity to get training by experts from different disciplines and felds (to be called as ‘Mentors’). There will be 1 mentor for 2 mentees. The program aims to enable Scheduled Tribe (ST) youth in remote areas to use digital platforms for sharing their aspirations, dreams and talent with their mentors. • The program will focus on three core areas – Digital Literacy, Life Skills and Leadership and Entrepreneurship, and on sectors such as Agriculture, Art & Culture, Handicrafts & Textiles, Health, Nutrition, among others. At least 250 Fellows who are getting scholarship from Ministry of Tribal Affairs under National Scholarship and Fellowship Scheme and are part of Tribal Talent Pool will also be mentored through the program.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 22 T.me/SleepyClasses 40. Project Arth Ganga • Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during the frst meeting of the National Ganga Council in Kanpur on December 14, 2019, had conceptualised ‘Arth Ganga’ to energise the economic activity along the Ganga river bank. The Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) aimed to develop river Ganges as a safe mode of navigation and is being implemented with the technical and fnancial assistance of the World Bank. ‘Project Arth Ganga’ envisages re-engineering the JMVP by involving the local community with a focus on economic activities in and around the Ganga River.

• Small jetties along the Ganga to boost the economic activities at the community level would be set up as part of the “Project Arth Ganga” to energise economic activity along river banks in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. About 40 foating jetties and 10 pairs of Ro-Ro terminals are being planned on River Ganga in the four states in the Gangetic belt, which will bring down the logistics cost for farmers in the movement of local produce. • Apart from providing benefts in terms of trade and access to markets, local community’s economic enhancement and passenger facilitation, the ‘Arth Ganga’ project will also ensure large scale skills enhancement and public/private sector capability development. “Project Arth Ganga” would catalyse economic develoment in the Ganga basin to generate economic beneft of more than Rs 1000 crores over the next 5 years.

41. One Nation, One Channel- Education Initiatives • A comprehensive initiative called PM e-VIDYA will be launched which unifes all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education. This will enable multi-mode access to education, and includes: DIKSHA (one nation-one digital platform) which will now become the nation’s digital infrastructure for providing quality e-content in school education for all the states/UTs; TV (one class-one channel) where one dedicated channel per grade for each of the classes 1 to 12 will provide access to quality educational material: SWAYAM online courses in MOOCS format for school and higher education; IITPAL for IITJEE/NEET preparation; Air through Community radio and CBSE Shiksha Vani podcast; and study material for the differently abled developed on Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY) and in sign language on NIOS website/ YouTube. This will beneft nearly 25 crore school going children across the country. • In this time of global pandemic, it is vital that we provide psychosocial support to students, teachers and families for mental health and emotional wellbeing. The Manodarpan initiative is being launched

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 23 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses

to provide such support through a website, a toll-free helpline, national directory of counselors, interactive chat platform, etc. This initiative will beneft all school going children in the country, along with their parents, teachers and the community of stakeholders in school education. • A National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission will be launched, for ensuring that every child in the country necessarily attains foundational literacy and numeracy in Grade 3 by 202 For this, teacher capacity building, a robust curricular framework, engaging learning material – both online and offine, learning outcomes and their measurement indices, assessment techniques, tracking of learning progress, etc. will be designed to take it forward in a systematic fashion. This mission will cover the learning needs of nearly 4 crore children in the age group of 3 to 11 years.

42. National Test Abhyaas App • Following multiple requests from students regarding the preparations for competitive exams- Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), the National Testing Agency (NTA) has come up with ‘National Test Abhyaas’ app for the students preparing for the engineering, medical admission tests. • The App has been developed by NTA to enable candidates to take mock tests for upcoming exams such as JEE Main, NEET under the NTA’s purview. Students from across the country can “take full mock tests free of cost, in a bid to be fully prepared for the upcoming JEE, NEET, and other competitive exams. The tests can be easily downloaded. The app will contain a three-hour-long question paper for both JEE Main, NEET aspirants. The students will get immediate scores with explanations of the answers.

43. Nationwide rollout of ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ System • On May 15th, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the national rollout of a ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ system in all states and Union Territories by March 2021. As of now, about 20 states have come on board to implement the inter-state ration card portability. • According to the Finance Minister, this system will enable migrant workers and their family members to access PDS benefts from any Fair Price Shop in the country. Under the National Food Security Act, 2013, about 81 crore persons are entitled to buy subsidized food grain — rice at Rs 3/kg, wheat at Rs 2/kg, and coarse grains at Re 1/kg — from their designated Fair Price Shops (FPS) of the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). • In the present system, a ration cardholder can buy food grains only from an FPS that has been assigned to her in the locality in which she lives. However, this will change once the ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ system becomes operational nationally. The new system, based on a technological solution, will identify a benefciary through biometric authentication on electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices installed at the FPSs, and enable that person to purchase the quantity of food grains to which she is entitled under the NFSA. • Ration card portability is aimed at providing intra-state as well as inter-state portability of ration cards. • While the Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS) portal provides the technological platform for the inter-state portability of ration cards, enabling a migrant worker to buy food grains from any FPS across the country, the other portal (annavitran.nic.in) hosts the data of distribution of food grains through E-PoS devices within a state. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 24 T.me/SleepyClasses • The Annavitran portal enables a migrant worker or his family to avail the benefts of PDS outside their district but within their state. While a person can buy her share of food grains as per her entitlement under the NFSA, wherever she is based, the rest of her family members can purchase subsidised food grains from their ration dealer back home.

44. Surveys delayed cause data vacuum • In 2009-10, the National Sample Survey Offce (now National Statistical Offce or NSO) conducted a large sample survey of Household Consumer Expenditure (HCE).

✓This survey, usually carried out once in fve years, was repeated in 2011-12. The reason: 2009-10 saw India suffer both a severe drought and the aftereffects of the global fnancial crisis. 2011-12 was a “normal” year like 1999-2000 and 2004-05, “free” from any major economic downturn. • 2011-12 not only yielded the HCE survey data used for estimating poverty lines and ratios: Households with consumption expenditure below a certain level, which is state-specifc and different for rural and urban areas, are considered poor, that period produced a surfeit of information also from other sources – the 2011 Census, NSSO’s Employment and Unemployment Survey (EUS), and the Rural Development Ministry’s Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC). Policymakers and researchers were, simply put, spoilt for choice with regard to offcial data availability. • Contrast these to the present times where there’s a virtual data vacuum. The NSO did carry out a HCE survey for 2017-18, but the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation did not release its results citing “data quality issues”. Instead, it proposed conducting back-to-back HCE surveys in 2020-21 and 2021-22 “after incorporating all data quality refnements”. • The Census, which collects individual-level demographic as well as socio-cultural, occupational, education and migration-related information, is scheduled to be conducted in February-March 2021. Prior to that, the frst Houselisting & Housing phase – which looks at the amenities and assets possessed by households along with the condition of homes (construction material, number of rooms, etc) – was to take place during April-September 2020. • The NPR Updation which saw much debate had also been clubbed with the same. The houselisting operation is crucial for carving out enumeration blocks or specifc areas that are used for collection of census data. • The same goes for the SECC, whose individual/household-level data, unlike that of the regular Census, isn’t confdential. • The Narendra Modi government has used the SECC-2011 database for identifying benefciaries under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana (rural housing), Ujjwala (LPG connection), Saubhagya (household electrifcation), Ayushman Bharat (health insurance) and other welfare schemes. But the SECC-21, too, cannot be undertaken without the demarcation of enumeration blocks as part of the Census houselisting operation.

45. Changes proposed in Companies Act • Finance and corporate affairs minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 21st May announced that the government was moving to decriminalise provisions of the Companies Act to enhance ease of doing business in the country as part of the government Covid-19 relief package.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 25 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • A number of offences previously classifed as compoundable offences, i.e. those offences that had either imprisonment or fnes as punishments have had the imprisonment penalty removed.

✓Some of these offences have been omitted altogether while others have been shifted from the purview of the National Company Law Tribunals (NCLT) to an in-house adjudication mechanism. • The move has been part of larger government efforts to boost ease of doing business since 2018. The recently decriminalised offences include administrative offences such as delays in fling CSR reports, or failure to rectify the register of members in compliance with orders from the NCLT. • The government had also introduced amendments to the Companies Act making violations of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) provisions punishable by imprisonment but did not operationalise the provision after feedback from industry. • The Companies Act amendment bill 2020 has also proposed to remove criminal liability from CSR provisions. • The number of compoundable offences under the Companies Act have come down to 31 from 81 prior to the 2018 amendment to the Companies Act. • A number of these offences have been moved from needing to be prosecuted through the National Company Law Tribunals to being dealt with by the Registrar of Companies (RoC).

✓The RoC is empowered to decide penalties for these offences and companies can appeal to the Regional Director (RD) of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) to appeal or seek modifcations to these decisions. • This move would help free up the bandwidth of NCLTs to deal with cases dealing with insolvency and other higher priority matters. • According to experts, the ministry is expected to come out with further measures to decriminalise provisions in the companies act particularly those relating to auditors. • The Company Law Committee had also in its report said that it would take up the matter of easing provisions of debarment of audit frms in the next phase of decriminalisation of the Companies Act. • The corporate affairs ministry is however currently in the process of seeking debarment of audit frms Deloitte as well as KPMG affliate frm BSR & Co. for their alleged role in the IL&FS scam.

46. Mission SAGAR • As part of Mission Sagar, Indian Naval Ship Kesari entered Port Louis on 23 May 2020. The Government of India is providing assistance to friendly foreign countries in dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic, and towards this Indian Naval Ship Kesari is carrying COVID related essential medicines and a special consignment of Ayurvedic medicines for the people of Mauritius. • In addition, a 14-member Specialist Medical Team comprising Indian Navy doctors and paramedics is also embarked onboard this ship, to work alongside their Mauritian counterparts and together render assistance for COIVD-19 related emergencies. • The assistance to Mauritius is a part of the Government of India outreach amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Mission Sagar’, is in consonance with the Prime Ministers vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region ‘SAGAR’. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 26 T.me/SleepyClasses • This mission highlights the importance accorded by India to relations with the countries of the IOR and builds on the excellent relations existing between the two countries to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. • The operation is being progressed in close coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, and other agencies of the Government of India.

47. Katkari Tribe • The Katkari tribes are located primarily in Raigad and in parts of Palghar, Ratnagiri and Thane districts as well and in some places of Gujarat. Katkaris are former criminal tribes under the , 1871, an inhuman piece of legislation enforced during the British rule. • The act described certain groups of people as “habitually criminal” and put restrictions on their movements which led to alienation, stereotyping and harassment, to say the least. • After independence, the Act was repealed. Presently, the Katkaris are classifed as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). • The Government of India came up with this classifcation to introduce targeted interventions noting that some tribal groups had the least development indices as compared to other tribal groups. • The criteria used by the Ministry of Home Affairs for classifying PVTGs was as follows: ✓A pre-agricultural system of existence such as hunting, gathering

✓Zero or negative population growth

✓Extreme low level of literacy in comparison with other tribal groups

✓A subsistence level of economy • Groups that satisfes any one of the above criterion were considered a PVTG. There are more than 700 tribal groups in India and only 75 are classifed as PVTG.

✓Maharashtra is home to three such groups. • Katkaris were historically forest dwellers. The name Katkari is derived from a forest based activity – the making and barter or sale of Katechu (kath) from the khair tree. They are bilingual, speaking the Katkari language amongst themselves and Marathi with others.

48. Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana • Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY) is a retail marketing led value addition plan for Minor Forest Produce (MFP), meant for forest-based tribes to optimize the tribal income, locally. • Under the program, MFP-based tribal groups/enterprises of around 300 members are formed for collection, value addition, packaging & marketing of Minor Forest Produces (MFPs). • These tribal enterprises will be in the form of Van Dhan SHGs which will be a group of 15-20 members and such 15 SHG groups will further be federated into a larger group of Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKS) of around 300 members. • TRIFED will support the VDVKs through providing them with model business plans, processing plans & tentative list of equipment for carrying out the value addition work of MFPs.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 27 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • The details would be made available on the TRIFED’s website. Under its aegis, “Adivasi Ekatmik Samajik Sanstha” of Shahapur in Thane consisting mainly of people from Katkari tribe, markets Giloy and other products. Giloy is a medicinal plant with huge demand from pharmaceutical companies.

49.PIL to exclude India from country’s name • A PIL was fled in the Supreme Court that sought an amendment to Article 1 of the Constitution to retain only ‘Bharat’ and exclude India from country name so as to “ensure the citizens of this country to get over the colonial past”. • On 3rd June, Chief Justice of India S A Bobde said the Supreme Court can’t do it as “India is already called Bharat in the Constitution itself”. The court, however, allowed the petitioner to make a representation to the government. • Referring to the 1948 Constituent Assembly debate on Article 1 of the then draft constitution, the plea said even at that time there was a “strong wave” in favour of naming the country as ‘Bharat’ or ‘Hindustan’. • Article 1 in the Constitution states that India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States. The territory of India shall consist of: The territories of the states, The Union territories and Any territory that may be acquired. • The names of the States and the Unions have been described in the First Schedule. This schedule also holds that there are four Categories of State and territories - Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D.

✓Part A - includes the nine provinces which were under British India

✓Part B - princely states consisted of this category

✓Part C - centrally administered fve states

✓Part D - Andaman and Nicobar Islands • In the seventh amendment of the Constitution in 1956 the distinction between the Part A and Part B states was abolished.

50. CHAMPIONS Platform • O n J u n e 1 st, P r i m e M i n i s t e r S h r i N a r e n d ra M o d i l a u n c h e d t h e t e c h n o l o g y platform CHAMPIONS which stands for Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Increasing the Output and National Strength. • The portal is basically for making the smaller units big by solving their grievances, encouraging, supporting, helping and handholding.It is a real one-stop-shop solution of MSME Ministry. • This ICT based system is set up to help the MSMEs in present diffcult situation and also to handhold them to become national and international champions.

Detailed objectives of CHAMPIONS • Grievance Redressal: To resolve the problems of MSMEs including those of fnance, raw materials, labor, regulatory permissions etc particularly in the Covid created diffcult situation; • To help them capture new opportunities: including manufacturing of medical equipments and accessories like PPEs, masks, etc and supply them in National and International markets; www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 28 T.me/SleepyClasses • To identify and encourage the sparks: i.e. the potential MSMEs who are able to withstand the current situation and can become national and international champions. • It is a technology packed control room-cum-management information system. In addition to ICT tools including telephone, internet and video conference, the system is enabled by Artifcial Intelligence, Data Analytics and Machine Learning. • It is also fully integrated on real time basis with GOI’s main grievances portal CPGRAMS and MSME Ministry’s own other web based mechanisms.

51. PM CARES is not a public authority under RTI Act • The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund was set to accept donations and provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, and other similar emergencies. • On March 28, Sri Harsha Kandukuri fled an RTI application on April 1, asking the PMO to provide the Fund’s trust deed and all government orders, notifcations and circulars relating to its creation and operation. • The Prime Minister's Offce (PMO) has refused to disclose details on the creation and operation of the PM CARES Fund, telling a Right to Information applicant that the fund is “not a public authority” under the ambit of the RTI Act, 2005. • Section 2 (h) of the Act defnes a “public authority” as “any authority or body or institution of self- government established or constituted —

✓by or under the Constitution;

✓by any other law made by Parliament;

✓by any other law made by State Legislature;

✓by notifcation issued or order made by the appropriate Government — and includes any (i) body owned, controlled or substantially fnanced; (ii) non‑Government Organisation substantially fnanced, directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate Government.” • There is also ambiguity regarding whether the PMNRF (Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund) is subject to the RTI Act. While the Central Information Commission directed it to disclose information in 2008, a division bench of the Delhi High Court gave a split opinion on the question of whether PMNRF is a public authority under the Act.

52.Secrecy of Ballot Context • A SC judgment came on an appeal against the Allahabad High Court decision setting aside the voting of a no-confdence motion in a zila panchayat in Uttar Pradesh in 2018. The High Court found that some of the panchayat members had violated the rule of secrecy of ballot. It relied on CCTV footage to conclude that they had either displayed the ballot papers or by their conduct revealed the manner in which they had voted. • Supreme Court in its judgement said that Secrecy of ballot is the cornerstone of free and fair elections. The choice of a voter should be free and the secret ballot system in a democracy ensures it. Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 29 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses

✓It said that the principle of secrecy of ballots is an important postulate of constitutional democracy.

Section 94 • Section 94 of the Representation of People Act upholds the privilege of the voter to maintain confdentiality about her choice of vote.

✓However a voter can also voluntarily waive the privilege of non-disclosure

✓No one can prevent a voter from doing it. Nor can a complaint be entertained for any, including the person who wants to keep the voter’s mouth sealed as to why she disclosed for whom she voted

53.PM Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan • It is an employment scheme for migrant workers, launched in June 2020, to boost the development and livelihood opportunities in rural areas • PM Modi said, “Talent has retired from cities during lockdown, those whose labour and skills were behind the rapid growth of the cities will now boost development of villages with the help of this scheme” • It will work in a mission mode in 116 districts across the six states (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha) where the maximum number of migrant workers have returned

✓It includes 27 aspirational districts.

Key Points • It is for the ‘shramik’ workers who returned to their villages during the lockdown • The 125 days campaign will work in mission mode and involves intensifed and focused implementation of 25 different types of works to provide employment to migrant workers on one hand and create rural infrastructure on the other with a resource envelope of Rs 50000 crore

✓Rural housing, water conservation projects, drinking water and sanitation, and modern facilities etc. will be developed • Migrant worker engaged in every type of profession will get work in this campaign, skill mapping of workers has been done, women will be linked with self-help groups

54.Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana • It is a village development project launched in October 2014, under which each Member of Parliament will take the responsibility of developing physical and institutional infrastructure in three villages by 2019

✓The goal is to develop three Adarsh Grams by March 2019, of which one would be achieve by 2016. Thereafter, fve such Adarsh Grams (one per year) will be selected and developed by 2024 • Beyond mere infrastructure development, it aims at instilling certain values in the villages and their people so that they get transformed into models for other www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 30 T.me/SleepyClasses

Identifcation of Aadarsh Gram • Population of 3000-5000 in plain areas and 1000-3000 in hilly, tribal and diffcult areas • MP free to identify a suitable Gram Panchayat, other than his/her own village or that of his/her spouse • Lok Sabha MP has to choose a Gram Panchayat from within his/her constituency and Rajya Sabha MP a Gram Panchayat from the rural area of a district of his/her choice in the State from which he/ she is elected. Nominated MPs may choose a Gram Panchayat from the rural area of any district in the country. In the case of urban constituencies, (where there are no Gram Panchayats), the MP will identify a Gram Panchayat from a nearby rural constituency. • Gram Panchayats once selected by members of Parliament (whose tenures have ended on account of resignation or otherwise) would be continued as such under SAGY irrespective of whether activities have already been initiated in the GP under SAGY or not

✓Newly elected MPs will have the option to select the GP of their choice and two more subsequently by 2019

55.USA Sanctions against the International Criminal Court Context • Donald Trump authorised sanctions against ICC offcials involved in investigations into possible war crimes by US troops or those of its allies • Trump administration announced the strict punitive measures that Washington generally reserves for use against terror groups and those accused of abusing human rights

International Criminal Court (ICC) • Created in 1998, by the Rome Statute, it is a permanent judicial body based at The Hague, in the Netherlands

✓Began functioning in 2002 Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 31 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • It was established as a court of last resort to prosecute offences that would otherwise go unpunished, and has jurisdiction over four main crimes

✓Genocide

✓Crimes against humanity

✓War crimes

✓Crime of aggression • 123 nations are State Parties to the Rome Statute ✓US, China, Russia and India are exceptions • Unlike ICJ, ICC is not part of the United Nations system ✓ICJ hears disputes between nations. ICC prosecutes individuals — its authority extending to offences committed in a member state or by a national of such a state

Criticism of ICC • ICC is criticised for not pursuing investigations in Western countries (all 4 of its guilty verdicts pronounced so fare are in trials from Africa), as well as for working ineffciently

Criticism of Trump’s Move • Human Rights Watch said Asset freezes and travel bans are for human rights violators, not prosecutors and judges seeking justice for victims • UN and EU’s leaders said that it is a move of serious concern 56. UNSC Non-Permanent Membership • India has declared the following to be its focus areas during its upcoming tenure as a non-permanent member of the UNSC in 2021-22.

✓International Terrorism

✓UN reforms and Security Council expansion

✓Streamlining the world body’s peacekeeping operations

✓Technology initiatives • Minister of External Affairs Mr. S. Jaishankar pointed out to the unreformed and under- representative global institutions and the impact of COVID-19 while releasing the campaign brochure.

✓He even stated N.O.R.M.S (New Orientation for a Reformed Multilateral System) as the objective of India’s tenure in UNSC.

UNSC Elections • India is guaranteed a place in the UNSC as it is the sole candidate for Asia-Pacifc, but needs two- thirds of the 193-member General Assembly to vote in its favour in a secret ballot.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 32 T.me/SleepyClasses ✓India managed to win a unanimous endorsement from the 55-nation grouping that included both China and. • This will be the eighth time India will occupy a non-permanent UNSC seat, with its last stint in 2011-12.

Impediments to Win • Rising tensions in relations with both China and Pakistan since 2019 • Criticism from Turkey, and groupings like OIC over government’s decision on Article 370 and Citizenship Amendment Act.

57.Kholongchu Hydropower Project • India and Bhutan signed concession agreement in June 2020 • The Kholongchhu project is one of four additional projects agreed to in 2008, as a part of India’s commitment to help Bhutan create a total 10,000 MW of installed capacity by 2020 • PM Modi laid the foundation stone of this 600 MW project in 2014 • It is the frst time an India-Bhutan hydropower project will be constructed as a 50:50 joint venture, not as a government-to-government agreement • It is a joint venture between India and Bhutan — India's Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) and Bhutan's Druk Green Power Corporation Limited (DGPC) • It is the frst joint venture project to be implemented under an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) signed in 2014 • GoI will provide, as a grant, the equity share of the Bhutanese DGPC in the JV Company. Once the project is commissioned, the JV partners will run it for 30 years, called the concession period, after which the full ownership will transfer to the Bhutan government, which will receive power from the project as a “royalty” in the interim

India-Bhutan Partnership • Under this four hydropower projects have been built in the last 30 years totalling a capacity of 2,100 MW, and another two are under construction.

Benefts It is an example of win-win cooperation for both countries • Hydropower projects generate export revenue for Bhutan • Cement our economic partnership • Provide clean and low-cost electricity to India 58.Navigating the new normal • Behaviour change campaign launched by NITI Aayog to help people follow norms to contain the spread of COVID-19 • Focuses on COVID-safe behaviour, especially wearing masks Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 33 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Campaign has two parts 1. Web portal: Contains resources informed by behavioural science and use of nudge and social norms theory

2. Media campaign focused on wearing masks

59.PM Formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises (PM FME) • It aims to bring in new technology, apart from affordable credit to help small entrepreneurs penetrate new markets • Rs 10000 crore scheme for micro enterprises which offers 50% subsidy for storage and transportation to prevent distress sale by farmers • It will be implemented for fve years until 2024-25 • Micro enterprises will get 35% subsidy on project cost, with a ceiling of Rs 10 lakh • Benefciaries will contribute at least 10% of the project cost while the balance will come from loans Operation Greens Scheme • It has also been extended from tomato, onion and potato (TOP) crops to notifed horticulture crops for providing subsidy for their transportation and storage from surplus production area • It will prevent post-harvest losses and distress sale by farmers when prices fall Objective • Reduce food wastage • Increase farmers’ income • Push for investment in food processing sector • Create employment opportunities 60.Attorney General of India • Union government extended the term of K.K. Venugopal as AG for one year • AG is the part of the Union executive along with President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers • Article 76 provides for the offce of AG and he/she holds offce during the pleasure of the President • A person qualifed to be appointed a judge of Supreme Court is eligible for appointment • AG is the highest law offcer in the country 61.Iran drops India from Chabahar rail project • India and Iran signed an agreement to construct a rail line from Chabahar port to Zahedan, along the border with Afghanistan in 2016

✓The railway project was meant to be part of India’s commitment to the trilateral agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 34 T.me/SleepyClasses • Iran inaugurated the track-laying process for the 628 km long rail line, assuring to complete it by March 2022, without India’s assistance

✓The development comes as China fnalises a massive 25-year, $400 billion strategic partnership deal with Iran, which could cloud India’s plans

25-year Strategic Partnership • ran and China are close to fnalising a 25-year Strategic Partnership which will include Chinese involvement in Chabahar’s duty free zone, an oil refnery nearby and possibly a larger role in Chabahar port as well • The cooperation might extend from investments in infrastructure, manufacturing and upgrading energy to refurbishing ports, refneries and other installations, and will commit Iranian oil and gas supplies to China during that period • Iran also proposed a tie-up between the Chinese-run Pakistani port at Gwadar and Chabahar in 2019, and has offered interests to China in the Bandar-e-Jask port 350km away from Chabahar, as well as in the Chabahar duty free zone

✓Jask lies to west of Chabahar and right before Straits of Hormuz

62.Padmanabhaswamy Temple Judgement • SC held that the erstwhile Travancore royal family is the “human ministrant” or the shebait (manager) of the properties belonging to Sri Padmanabha, chief deity of Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala • It said that the Shebaitship does not lapse in favour of the State by principle of escheat (reversion of property to the State) • SC defned ‘shebait’ as the custodian of the idol, its earthly spokesman, its authorised representative entitled to deal with all its temporal affairs and to manage its property

26th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1971 • It banished all privileges and allowances from the central government to the royal families 63.Election Commission and Delay in Elections Why in News? • Political parties are voicing concerns over holding elections in Bihar amid a pandemic Details • Election Commission is mandated under law to hold elections at any time within six months before the fve-year term of Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly expires Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 35 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Election once called usually proceeds as per schedule but in some exceptional cases, the process can be postponed or even scrapped after its announcement under extraordinary circumstances

✓ Section 153 of RPA: Poll panel can “extend the time” for completing an election, but such extension should not go beyond the date of the normal dissolution of Lok Sabha or Assembly

✓ In 1991, EC, under this provision read with Article 324 postponed the parliamentary elections for three weeks • Powers under Section 153 can only be exercised after an election schedule has been notifed • So in the present case, EC can postpone the elections through its extraordinary powers under Article 324

Procedure • Commission will have to inform the government of its inability to hold polls on time • The government and the President will then decide the future course — to impose President’s Rule or allow the incumbent Chief Minister to continue for six months

Circumstances for Postponement • There is no specifc legal provision that specifes the circumstances under which elections can be deferred • Law and order, natural calamities or any other compelling circumstances that are beyond EC’s control would be the guiding factors • The decision on postponement is usually made after taking inputs from the ground and the central and state governments

64.Disabled and SC/ST Quota • Supreme Court confrmed that persons suffering from disabilities are also socially backward and entitled to the same benefts of relaxation as Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe candidates in public employment and education

Anmol Bandhari Case • Intellectually/mentally challenged persons have certain limitations, which are not there in physically challenged persons • New academic courses should be crafted to specifcally cater to the needs of intellectually disabled persons

Aryan Raj Case • SC declared that the admission qualifcation criteria for disabled should be same as that for SC/ST candidates

65.Consumer Protection Act, 2019 • It will empower consumers and help them in protecting their rights through its various notifed Rules and provisions like Consumer Protection Councils, Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions, Mediation, Product Liability and punishment for manufacture or sale of products containing adulterant / spurious goods www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 36 T.me/SleepyClasses • It includes establishment of the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers

✓ CCPA will be empowered to conduct investigations into violations of consumer rights and institute complaints / prosecution, order recall of unsafe goods and services, order discontinuance of unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements, impose penalties on manufacturers/endorsers/ publishers of misleading advertisements • e-commerce entities are also under its fold to provide pre-purchase stage information • It provides for simplifying the consumer dispute adjudication process in the consumer commissions, which include, among others, empowerment of the State and District Commissions to review their own orders, enabling a consumer to fle complaints electronically and fle complaints in consumer Commissions • Alternate Dispute Resolution mechanism of Mediation has been provided in the new Act • New Act also introduces the concept of product liability and brings within its scope, the product manufacturer, product service provider and product seller, for any claim for compensation.

66.Postal Ballot and Bihar Elections • With over 70 lakh electors above 65 years of age, the Election Commission of India decided against extending postal ballots to them in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections

✓ 34000 additional polling stations are being prepared • ECI had recommended extending the postal ballot facility to electors over 65 years as the age group had been termed most vulnerable to COVID-19

✓ Law Ministry notifed the change to the Conduct of Election Rues, 1961 on June 19, extending the postal ballot facility to electors above 65 years, as opposed to the existing provision for above 80 years, as well as COVID-19 patients and those suspected to have the corona virus

✓ Postal ballots had been extended to Persons with Disabilities (PWD) and electors over 80 years in November last year, ahead of the Jharkhand and Delhi elections • While the option remains for the future, it would not be notifed for the Bihar elections • Commission decided that it would not be possible to arrange the postal ballot facility for about 72 lakh electors, about 10% of the total 7.19 crore electors in the State.

Not the Conventional Postal Ballot • The system works as a polling station on the move, with the polling staff visiting the homes of senior citizens and PWD, having them fll out their ballots, sealing them in envelopes and taking it back.

67. Delimitation in NE states Illegal • Law Ministry notifed the Delimitation Commission for Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam and Nagaland and Jammu and Kashmir on March 6, 2020 • A former legal advisor to the EC has called it unconstitutional and illegal as it violates the Representation of People Act 1950

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 37 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Delimitation is the act of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies to represent changes in population and is done on the basis of the preceding Census • The last delimitation exercise, that started in 2002 and ended in 2008, had kept out Arunachal, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland as the use of the 2001 Census for it had been challenged by several organisations before the Gauhati High Court, on the ground that it was riddled with defects.

Section 8A of the RP Act 1950 • Delimitation in the four north-eastern states, when held, would fall within the EC’s remit 68.ICJ and Qatar • ICJ refused an appeal by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and UAE, which had challenged the authority of the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) to adjudicate on the legality of air blockade imposed by these four nations on Qatar.

Demands • Qatar closing down news outlets such as Al- Jazeera • Sever ties with radical Islamist groups like Muslim Brotherhood • Scale down ties with Shia-majority Iran • Remove Turkish troops stationed in the country Restrictions on Qatar • Closing of its only land border (with Saudi Arabia) • Stopping Qatari ships from entering ports anywhere in the Saudi coalition, and blocking Qatari planes from fying in their airspace • Qatari citizens were also expelled as part of the measures The Dispute at ICJ • Alleging that its rights of free passage under the 1944 Convention on Civil Aviation were violated, Qatar approached the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO), the UN aviation body created by that Convention

69.Gram Panchayat Administrator • Bombay High Court passed an interim order directing that government servant or offcer of the local authority be appointed as an administrator for gram panchayats where terms of these offcers have ended or would be ending

✓ An ordinance of Maharashtra government related to appointment of private individuals as administrators of gram panchayats was challenged in the above case www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 38 T.me/SleepyClasses • The administrators include sarpanch, secretary of the panchayats and gram sevaks Panchayat Raj Institutions • Panchayati Raj institutions were granted constitutional status by the 73rd Amendment Act in 1992

✓ It added Part-IX to the Constitution, Article 243 to 243 O and Eleventh Schedule • The system has three levels

✓ Gram Panchayat

✓ Mandal Parishad or Block Samiti or Panchayat Samiti

✓ Zila Parishad

70.Contempt of Court • Contempt power is needed to punish wilful disobedience to court orders (civil contempt), as well as interference in the administration of justice and overt threats to judges. The reason why the concept of contempt exists is to insulate the institution from unfair attacks and prevent a sudden fall in the judiciary’s reputation in the public eye • The origin of the concept traces back to the monarchical times when the King of England delivered judgements himself

✓ But over the centuries, with this adjudicatory role now having been handed over to judges, showing extreme deference to judges does not sit well with the idea of a democracy, believe some experts • UK Law Commission in 2012 report recommended the abolition of the law of contempt saying that the purpose of the offence was not “confned to preventing the public from getting the wrong idea about judges... but that where there are shortcomings, it is equally important to prevent the public from getting the right idea”. • The objective for contempt is stated to be to safeguard the interests of the public, if the authority of the Court is denigrated and public confdence in the administration of justice is weakened or eroded • Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer famously termed the law of contempt as having a vague and wandering jurisdiction, with uncertain boundaries; contempt law, regardless of public good, may unwittingly trample upon civil liberties

Contempt of Courts Act 1971 • It gives the constitutional courts wide powers to restrict an individual’s fundamental right to personal liberty for “scandalising the court” or for “wilful disobedience” of any judgement, writ, direction or order • The statute only lays down the procedure in contempt cases. The powers of contempt of the Supreme Court and High Courts are independent of the Act 1971

✓ Article 142(2) enables the Supreme Court to investigate and punish any person for its contempt • Innocent publication and distribution of matter not contempt • Courts can suo motu initiate such proceedings

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 39 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses

71.Extradition News • China announced the suspension of Hong Kong’s extradition treaties with Canada, Australia and Britain after the three countries announced the similar decisions in protest to controversial new security law

✓ The legislation, which came into effect ahead of July 1 punishes what China terms secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference with up to life in prison

What is Extradition • Extradition is the formal process of one state surrendering an individual to another state for prosecution or punishment for crimes committed in the requesting country’s jurisdiction

✓ It owes its existence to the principle of territoriality of criminal law according to which a State will not apply its penal statutes to acts committed outside its own boundaries except where the protection of special national interests is at stake • It typically is enabled by a bilateral or multilateral treaty

✓ Treaties tend to take a “dual criminality” approach, classifying all crimes that are punishable in both jurisdictions • ICPO-Interpol has been a forerunner in international efforts to improve and accelerate existing procedure of extradition

Position in India • In India the extradition of a fugitive from India to a foreign country or vice-versa is governed by the provisions of Indian Extradition Act, 1962. The basis of extradition could be a treaty between India and a foreign country. Under section 3 of this Act, a notifcation could be issued by the Government of India extending the provisions of the Act to the country/countries notifed • The Interpol Wing of the Central Bureau of Investigation is the intermediary between Interpol and Indian State police authorities

72.China & Bhutan • China has offered a package solution to Bhutan to resolve the boundary dispute by offering territory in the eastern sector and northern sector in exchange for Doklam plateau in western sector

✓ China has claimed Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary in eastern Bhutan

✓ According to Brahma Chellaney, this is perhaps for the frst time since WWII that one state has laid claim to another nation’s territory that can be accessed only through a third nation • The Chinese claim that the boundary between China and Bhutan has not been demarcated and there are disputes in the central, eastern and western sections of the boundary • Bhutan remains India’s only neighbour which hasn’t joined China’s BRI project • Bhutan doesn’t even have formal diplomatic relations with China www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 40 T.me/SleepyClasses

73.National Health ID System • In 2018, NITI Aayog proposed to create a centralised mechanism to uniquely identify every participating user in the National Health Stack, country’s digital backbone for health system. • National health ID will be a repository of all health-related information of a person. According to the National Health Authority (NHA), every patient who wishes to have their health records available digitally must start by creating a Health ID. Each Health ID will be linked to a health data consent manager — such as National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) — which will be used to seek the patient’s consent and allow for seamless flow of health information from the Personal Health Records module.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 41 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Health ID is created by using a person’s basic details and mobile number or Aadhaar number ✓It will be unique to the person.

National Health Policy 2017 • It envisaged creation of a digital health technology eco-system aiming at developing an integrated health information system that serves the needs of all stakeholders and improves efficiency, transparency and citizens’ experience with linkage across public and private healthcare.

Benefits • Greatly reduce the risk of preventable medical errors. • Significantly increase quality of care. • Longitudinal view of healthcare records will be maintained. 74.PMO denies RTI on PM-CARES • It denied a Right to Information request related to PM-CARES Fund on the grounds that providing it would disproportionately divert the resources of the office

✓It said that that the information is not maintained by the PMO in compiled form and its collection and compilation would disproportionately divert resources. • A High Court judgement and multiple orders of the Central Information Commission (CIC) have previously held, under the RTI Act, that this rationale can only be used to change the format of information provided and not deny it altogether.

Section 8(1) • Lists the various valid reasons for exemptions under the Act, which would allow denial of information such as

✓Sovereignty and integrity of India

✓Forbidden to be published by any court of law

✓Cause breach of privilege of Parliament or State Legislature

✓Commercial confidence, trade secrets or intellectual property, the disclosure of which would harm the competitive position of a third party

✓Information available to a person in his fiduciary relationship

Section 7(9) • An information shall ordinarily be provided in the form in which it is sought unless it would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority or would be detrimental to the safety or preservation of the record in question. • Kerala High Court said in 2010, that this Section does not confer any discretion on a public authority to withhold information. It only gives discretion to provide information in a form other than the form in which the information is sought for.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 42 T.me/SleepyClasses 75.Electoral Bond Scheme • Central government in 2018, notified the electoral bond scheme. • It is like a promissory note that can be brought by any Indian citizen or company incorporated in India from select branches of State Bank of India.

✓The citizen can then donate the same to any eligible political party of his/her choice • It is issued in multiple values of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore, these bonds can only be encashed by political parties, which had secured at least 1 per cent of the votes polled in the most recent Lok Sabha or state election.

76.Aarogya Setu and Open API Service • API means Application Programming Interface, which is a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other. • In order to help businesses and economy to start functioning while being safe, the Open API service enables organisations to check the status of Aarogya Setu and integrates it into its various Work from home features. • The service can be availed by organisations and business entities, registered in India with more than 50 employees. • In real-time, they can get the health status of their employees or any other Aarogya Setu User, who has provided the consent for sharing their health status with the organisation

✓No violation of data privacy takes place. • It addresses the fear of COVID-19 infections and help the people, businesses and the economy to return to normalcy. • The Aarogya Setu ITIHAS interface which uses location data and Aarogya Setu analytics to predict emerging hotspots at Sub Pincode levels has been very effective in helping the health officials and administration to take necessary precautionary steps. • Motto of Aarogya Setu – Main Surakshit, Hum Surakshit, Bharat Surakshit.

77.Drinking Water Supply Quality Management System • BIS’ Draft Standard of Drinking Water Supply outlines the process of water supply, from raw water sources to household taps and has been developed keeping in view the Centre’s Jal Jeevan Mission for providing safe and adequate drinking water to all rural households by 2024 through tap connections • It is expected to make the process of piped water supply more uniform, especially in rural and underdeveloped areas of the country.

What the Draft says? • It outlines the requirements for a water supplier or a water utility on how they should establish, operate, maintain and improve their piped drinking water supply service Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 43 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses

✓Identification of a water source (groundwater or surface water). • The acceptable limit of various substances in drinking water, including heavy metals, pH value, turbidity, total dissolved solids, colour and odour are outlined. • It contains guidelines for top management of water utility, establishing quality policy for their service, monitoring the quality of water released to people and conducting a water audit.

Water Supply Process • Identification of raw water source. • Treatment of water as per acceptable drinking standards. • Treated water stored in reservoirs for distribution and disinfected. • Pumping stations or boosters to main adequate pressure throughout the distribution system. Emphasis to operate the system of valves, meters and control devices on automatic mode. • Adopt district metering area (DMA) where possible. ✓It is a concept for controlling leakages in the water network, which is divided into a number of sectors, called the DMAs and flow meters are installed to detect leaks.

78.Israel-UAE Peace Deal • UAE and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state. • With this, UAE became the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties with Israel

✓Egypt and Jordan are the other two Arabs. • The accord puts Israel’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank on hold and solidifies a growing alliance between Israel and some Arab countries with Sunni Muslim majorities to contain Iran, whose population is mostly Shiite Muslim.

UAE and its Importance • UAE never fought in any of the six Arab-Israeli wars. • Dubai is a business hub for the region and Abu Dhabi wants to lessen its dependence on hydrocarbons.

79.BRICS Anti-Drug Working Group • Exchange of opinions concerning the drug situation in the BRICS states, the international and regional trends of illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, as well as the impact of various internal and external factors. • Common points emerged during the discussions include need for real time information sharing among the member states and need to curb increased drug trafficking through maritime routes. • Misuse of dark net and other advanced technologies for drug trafficking. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 44 T.me/SleepyClasses 80.Offcial Secrets Act: The anti-spying law Why in news • A strategic affairs analyst was arrested by Delhi police for passing on information such as the deployment of Indian troops on the border to Chinese intelligence offcers.

Background • Offcials Secrets Act has its roots in the British colonial era. This was brought in with the main objective of muzzling the voice of a large number of newspapers that had come up in several languages, and were opposing their policies. • It was amended and made more stringent in the form of The Indian Offcial Secrets Act, 1904, during Lord Curzon’s tenure as Viceroy of India. • In 1923, a newer version was notifed. The Indian Offcial Secrets Act (Act No XIX of 1923) was extended to all matters of secrecy and confdentiality in governance in the country.

Provisions • It broadly deals with two aspects — spying or espionage, covered under Section 3, and disclosure of other secret information of the government, under Section 5. • Secret information can be any offcial code, password, sketch, plan, model, article, note, document, or information. Under Section 5, both the person communicating the information and the person receiving the information can be punished. • For classifying a document, a government Ministry or Department follows the Manual of Departmental Security Instructions, 1994, not under OSA. Also, OSA itself does not say what a “secret” document is. It is the government’s discretion to decide what falls under the ambit of a “secret” document to be charged under OSA. • It has often been argued that the law is in direct confict with the Right to Information Act, 2005. • Section 22 of the RTI Act provides for its primacy vis-a-vis provisions of other laws, including OSA. This gives the RTI Act an overriding effect, notwithstanding anything inconsistent with the provisions of OSA. So if there is any inconsistency in OSA with regard to furnishing of information, it will be superseded by the RTI Act. However, under Sections 8 and 9 of the RTI Act, the government can refuse information. • If the government classifes a document as “secret” under OSA Clause 6, that document can be kept outside the ambit of the RTI Act, and the government can invoke Sections 8 or 9.

81.Covid-19 patients, elderly can vote in elections via postal ballot • The Ministry of Law and Justice issued a notifcation for the Conduct of Elections (Amendment) Rules 2020 for extending the postal ballot facility for voters above the age of 65 years as well as Covid-19 patients under home or institutional quarantine. • The notifcation said that in the rule 27A, clause (aa) of the Conduct of Election Rules 1961, after the words “or persons with disability” occurring at the end, the words, “or the Covid-19 suspect or affected persons” shall be inserted.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 45 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses What is postal voting? • A restricted set of voters can exercise postal voting. Through this facility, a voter can cast her vote remotely by recording her preference on the ballot paper and sending it back to the election offcer before counting. • The postal ballot facility had so far been reserved only for people over the age of 80 and those voters involved in essential services who are not posted in their home state.

82.AYUSH Grid to Operationally Integrate With National Digital Health Mission NDHM - Universal Health Coverage • The National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) aims to develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country. • It will bridge the existing gap amongst different stakeholders of Healthcare ecosystem through digital highways. • NDHM shall create a s e a m l e s s o n l i n e platform “through the provision of a wide- r a n g e o f d a t a , i n f o r m a t i o n a n d infrastructure services, duly leveraging open, i n t e r o p e r a b l e , standards-based digital systems” while ensuring t h e s e c u r i t y , conf d e n t i a l i t y a n d privacy of health-related personal information.

AYUSH Grid • The AYUSH Grid Project is the IT backbone for the entire AYUSH sector covering the healthcare systems Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy. • AYUSH Grid is envisaged as an omnibus digital eco- system that would lead to all round development of the AYUSH sector in felds of healthcare delivery at all levels, research, education, schemes and various health programs.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 46 T.me/SleepyClasses • To develop a network of People, Knowledge and Technology for radical, sustainable and wholesome transformation of AYUSH sector, and play a pivotal role in taking care of holistic health care needs (i.e. curative, preventive and promotive health) and socio- economic wellbeing of Indian citizens and further extending the benefts to entire world population. • To create an organic and dynamic information and communication technology (ICT) powered network interconnecting all streams of AYUSH in their key functional areas viz. health care delivery, capacity building, research & development, AYUSH drug regulation and education. • This will be benefcial for all stakeholders of AYUSH and also helpful for effective governance. • Strategies for development will be in sync with the national and international policies and health care needs. • The main components of AYUSH GRID Project are as under:

✓ Health Services

✓ Education

✓ Research

✓ Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes

✓ Training

✓ Citizen Centric Services

✓ Drug Licensing Portal

✓ Media Outreach

NAMASTE Portal • National AYUSH Morbidity and Standardized Terminologies Electronic Portal (NAMASTE Portal) was launched on 17th October, 2017 (2nd Ayurveda day).

✓ The National Ayurveda Day is celebrated every year on the occasion of Dhanwantari Jayanti (Dhanteras). • The portal provides standardized terminologies & morbidity codes for Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems of medicines. • Morbidity codes provide a comprehensive classifcation of diseases described in the traditional medicines system.

83.The Code on Social Security 2020 • The objective is to consolidate and simplify the multitude of labor regulations into four labor Codes – the Code on Wages, Social Security, Industrial Relations and Occupational Safety and Health, subsuming 29 existing regulations. • It has enhanced the coverage, extended the beneft to all workers in the organized / an unorganized sector introduced concepts of providing maximum benefts under minimum governance and refects uniformity in approach across the four labour codes.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 47 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • The Code on Social Security 2020 (Code) subsumes nine regulations relating to social security, retirement and employee benefts such as:

✓ The Employees Compensation Act, 1923

✓ The Employees State Insurance Act, 1948

✓ The Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952,

✓ The Employees Exchange (Compulsory Notifcation of Vacancies) Act, 1959

✓ The Maternity Beneft Act, 1961

✓ The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972

✓ The Cine Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1981

✓ The Building and Other Construction Workers Cess Act, 1996

✓ The Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008).

Key features Uniformity in determining wages • This has provided a wide defnition for wage. Specifc exclusions with ceilings have been provided for discouraging inappropriate structuring of salaries to minimize social security benefts.

Consultative approach • The Code has brought in a facilitating approach by the authorities. Unlike the existing role of inspectors, the Code provides for an enhanced role of inspector-cum-facilitator whereby employers can look for support and advice to enhance compliances.

Career Centre • To enable that demand for human resources is met and to monitor employment information, career centers will be established. Employers have to report vacancies to career centers before flling up the same.

Digitization • All records and returns have to be maintained electronically. Digitization of data will help in exchange of information among various stakeholders / funds set up by the Government, will ensure compliance and also facilitate governance.

Stringent penalties • Any failure to deposit employees’ contributions not only attracts a penalty of Rs 100,000, but also imprisonment of one to three years. In case of repeat offence, the penalties and prosecution is severe, and no compounding is permitted for repeated offences.

84.IIM Kozhikode to launch e-learning hub for villagers • IIM has adopted 5 villages under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 48 T.me/SleepyClasses • The baseline socio-economic survey and focus group discussions are being carried out with the involvement of faculties and students of IIMK, to the Village Development Plan (VDP) for each village. The intervention activities will be brought in action based on the VDP. • IIM will soon be launching an e-learning hub and library as a pilot project for villagers in Mavoor, one of the fve villages adopted by the institute under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA). • The program is aimed at creating a virtuous cycle between society and an inclusive academic system by providing knowledge and practices for emerging professions.

UNNAT BHARAT ABHIYAN • A fagship programme of Ministry of Education. Vision • Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is inspired by the vision of transformational change in rural development processes by leveraging knowledge institutions to help build the architecture of an Inclusive India.

Mission • To enable higher educational institutions to work with the people of rural India in identifying development challenges and evolving appropriate solutions for accelerating sustainable growth. • To create a virtuous cycle between society and an inclusive academic system by providing knowledge and practices for emerging professions and to upgrade the capabilities of both the public and the private sectors in responding to the development needs of rural India.

85.IFFCO, Prasar Bharati sign MoU to broadcast & promote new agriculture technology & innovations • According to the agreement, DD Kisan will broadcast various innovative techniques being adopted in agriculture feld in easy language through 30 minutes program series for the beneft of farmers. • To make the farmers Atmanirbhar, these new agriculture techniques and their implementation will be explained to the farmers. The MoU will help in achieving this objective. • IFFCO’s innovations will be shared with farmers in easy language through DD Kisan in approximate 25 episodes.

86.Gujarat to launch 'Digital Seva Setu' phase-I in villages • Under this 3,500 village panchayats have been connected with 100 MBPS optical fbre network to facilitate online availability of public welfare services. • The programme, an initiative under BharatNet project, is meant to ensure optimum utilisation of technology for public welfare. • The public welfare services will be made available at the e-gram offce in each panchayat and villagers will not have to go all the way to taluka or district-level offces. • It aims to provide fast and faceless services to people by removing corruption or the need of middlemen.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 49 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • The 20 services to be offered initially to villagers under the programme include ration cards, affdavits and certifcates for widows, residence, caste, senior citizen, language-based minority, religious minority, nomad-denotifed, and income certifcates. • A 'talati' (revenue offcer) has been given the power to provide affdavits at the village level so that benefciaries do not have to visit the notary offces in towns and cities. • Use of e-signature in place of physical signature has also been facilitated so that a benefciary gets the required documents, made available in a digital locker, at the click of his/her mobile phone. • Citizens will have to pay a nominal fee of Rs 20 for each service, a part of which will go to the village panchayat.

87.SWAMITVA scheme • It includes physical distribution of property cards. • It will allow villagers to use property as a fnancial asset for taking loans and other fnancial benefts. • The launch will enable around one lakh property holders to download their property cards through an SMS link sent on their mobile phones, and this would be followed by the physical distribution of property cards by respective state governments. • The benefciaries from all states will receive the physical copies of their property cards within a day except for Maharashtra. • In Maharashtra there is a system of recovering a nominal cost of property cards. So it will provide property card within a month after applying for it. • The scheme was launched by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. It was launched on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24 2020. • The scheme is aimed at providing the ‘record of rights’ to the village household owners in rural areas and issue property cards. • The scheme is being implemented across the country for a period of four years that is from 2020-2024 in a phased manner. It targets to cover 6.62 lakh villages.

88.ISLRTC, NCERT Sign MoU to Convert Educational Materials into Indian Sign Language • A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Center (ISLRTC) and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to make educational materials accessible for hearing impaired children. • NCERT textbooks, teacher`s handbooks and other materials for Class I-XII of all subjects in Hindi and English medium would be converted into ISL in digital format.

At World Level • International Day of Sign Languages– The day is celebrated on September 23 annually to commemorate the foundation of the World Federation of the Deaf

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 50 T.me/SleepyClasses 89.NCDC Ayushman Sahakar Fund for creation of healthcare infrastructure by cooperatives • It is a scheme to assist cooperatives for creation of healthcare infrastructure in the country formulated by the autonomous development fnance institution under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). • NCDC would extend term loans to prospective cooperatives to the tune of Rs.10, 000 crore to revolutionize the way healthcare delivery takes place in rural areas. • NCDC’s scheme aligns itself with the National Health Policy, 2017, covering the health systems in all their dimensions- investments in health, organization of healthcare services, access to technologies, development of human resources, encouragement of medical pluralism, affordable health care to farmers etc. It has a comprehensive approach-hospital, healthcare, medical education, nursing education, paramedical education, health insurance and holistic health systems such as AYUSH. • Ayushman Sahakar scheme fund would also assist cooperative hospitals take up medical / Ayush education. • Any Cooperative Society with suitable provision in its byelaws to undertake healthcare related activities would be able to access the NCDC fund. NCDC assistance will fow either through the State Governments/ UT Administrations or directly to the eligible cooperatives. Subsidy/ grant from other sources can be dovetailed. • Ayushman Sahakar specifcally covers establishment, modernization, expansion, repairs, renovation of hospital and healthcare and education infrastructure encompassing: • Hospitals and/ or Medical/ AYUSH/ Dental/ Nursing/ Pharmacy/ Paramedical/ Physiotherapy Colleges for running UG and /or PG programmes,

✓ Yoga Wellness Centre,

✓ Ayurveda, Allopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy and other traditional medicine healthcare centres,

✓ Health care services for elderly,

✓ Palliative care services,

✓ Health care services for Persons with Disabilities,

✓ Mental healthcare services,

✓ Emergency Medical Services / Trauma Centre,

✓ Physiotherapy centre,

✓ Mobile Clinic Services,

✓ Health Club and Gym,

✓ AYUSH pharmaceutical manufacturing,

✓ Drug testing laboratory,

✓ Dental care centre, Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 51 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses

✓ Ophthalmic care centre,

✓ Laboratory services,

✓ Diagnostics services,

✓ Blood Bank / transfusion services,

✓ Panchkarma/ Thokkanam/ Kshar sutra therapy centre,

✓ Regimental Therapy of Unani (IlajBilTadbeer) centre,

✓ Maternal health and Childcare services,

✓ Reproductive and Child Health services,

✓ Any other related centre or services as may be deemed ft by NCDC for assistance,

✓ Telemedicine and remote assisted medical procedures,

✓ Logistics health, healthcare and education,

✓ Information and Communication Technology related to digital health,

✓ Health insurance accredited by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA). • The scheme also provides working capital and margin money to meet operational requirements. • The scheme provides interest subvention of one percent to women majority cooperatives. • NCDC was set up under an Act of Parliament in 1963 for promotion and development of cooperatives. Since 1963, it has extended around Rs.1.60 lakh crore as loans to cooperatives.

National Health Mission • The National Health Mission (NHM) encompasses its two Sub-Missions, The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and The National Urban Health Mission (NUHM). • The main programmatic components include Health System Strengthening, Reproductive-Maternal- Neonatal-Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A), and Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases. • The NHM envisages achievement of universal access to equitable, affordable & quality health care services that are accountable and responsive to people’s needs. • six fnancing components:

✓ NRHM-RCH Flexi pool,

✓ NUHM Flexi pool,

✓ Flexible pool for Communicable disease,

✓ Flexible pool for Non-communicable disease including Injury and Trauma,

✓ Infrastructure Maintenance and

✓ Family Welfare Central Sector component.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 52 T.me/SleepyClasses 90.NHRC Completes 27 Years • The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was established on 12 October 1993. • NHRC is an independent statutory body constituted under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993 as amended by the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2006. • It is the watchdog of human rights in the country, i.e. the rights related to life, liberty, equality, and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the international covenants and enforceable by courts in India. NHRC has its headquarters in . • NHRC is composed of a Chairman and seven other members. Out of the seven members, three are ex- offcio members. The Chairman and members of NHRC are appointed by the President of India on the recommendation of a high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister. • The Chairman and the members of the NHRC are appointed for 5 years or till the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier. They can only be removed on the charges of misbehaviour or incapacity if proved by an inquiry conducted by a Supreme Court Judge.

Functions • NHRC holds the power to investigate grievances related to the violation of human rights either suo moto or after receiving a petition. • It has the power to interfere in any judicial proceedings involving any allegation of violation of human rights. • It can visit any jail or other government-controlled facility to see the prisoners' living conditions and make recommendations on them. • It can review the protections provided for in the constitution or any human rights protection legislation and can recommend effective remedial steps. • NHRC also undertakes and promotes research in the feld of human rights. It works to spread human rights literacy among various sections of society and promotes awareness of the safeguards available for the protection of these rights through publications, media, seminars, and other means. • The Commission takes an independent stance while, for the time being, giving advice on the defense of human rights in the constitutional parlance or in the statute. • NHRC has the powers of a civil court and can grant interim relief. • It also has the authority to recommend payment of compensation or damages. • It can recommend to both the central and state governments to take suitable steps to prevent the violation of Human Rights. • NHRC submits its annual report to the President of India who causes it to be laid before each House of Parliament.

Limitations • NHRC cannot take any action against violation of Human rights by private parties • The Recommendations made by the NHRC are not binding.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 53 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • NHRC cannot penalize the authorities that don’t implement its recommended orders. • The NHRC has limited jurisdiction over cases related to armed forces • The NHRC cannot hold jurisdiction in the following cases:

✓ Cases older than one year.

✓ Cases that is anonymous, pseudonymous, or vague.

✓ Frivolous cases.

✓ Cases pertaining to service matters.

91.Uttar Pradesh launches Mission Shakti for security of women in the state • It is a 6-month long women empowerment programme to raise awareness and tackle crime against women in the state. • Six month campaign has two phases, Mission Shakti' and 'Operation Shakti. Mission Shakti will feature awareness campaigns related to women’s safety. The initiatives like gender-based sensitization, training, corporate activity, voice messages, interviews, programmes in Durga Puja and other cultural pandals should be organised to create greater awareness under ‘Mission Shakti’. • A weeklong special campaign will be launched every month during the campaign to create awareness among masses and sensitize people on the subject. These programmes will be organised in all the 521 blocks, 59,000 gram panchayats, 630 urban local bodies and 1,535 police stations in the 75 districts of the state. Women nodal offcers appointed by government in all the districts for the execution and monitoring of the campaign will try to create awareness about the help lines - 1090, 181, 1076, 108 and 102. • Operation Shakti will be the enforcement drive during which the police will prepare a register of persons who have come out of jail after serving time for crimes against women and monitor them. • THE PINK PATROL: The new women patrolling force called 'Pink-Patrol' is a part of the Mission Shakti campaign launched to mark the beginning of Navratri. Approximately 250 women police personnel have been deployed in the 'Pink Patrol' after going through a rigorous training. • The 'Pink- Patrol' is designed to take immediate action on the cases of molestation and crime against women. • The UP govt has also co-opted Green Gang in Mission Shakti for drive against anti-socials. • The Green Gang, comprising women volunteers, is running de-addiction and anti-gambling campaigns in rural areas of Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh. • They will take responsibility for the security of women in 200 villages in Varanasi, Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, Jaunpur, Chandauli and Ayodhya districts. In the coming months, the Green Gang will be activated in 50 more villages, he said.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 54 T.me/SleepyClasses • Volunteers will also celebrate the birth of the girl child in villages. As a mark of happiness, they will put a green impression on the door and wall of houses where girls are born. Members will pursue complaints of harassment and ensure that anti-social elements involved in harassment of women are put behind bars. • The Green Gang is run by Hope Welfare Trust constituted by students of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 2015. It will also impart self-defence training to girls. The volunteers will enlighten rural women and girls about the law and organise programmes to boost their self-confdence, he added. • The Green Gang has launched a self-defence programme in 10 villages where Maoists had been active. Dressed in green sarees, the volunteers of Green Gang move on foot from one village to another, urging people to give up gambling and liquor.

92.GovTech- Thon • Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), National Informatics Centre (NIC), IEEE Computer Society and Oracle have come together to announce Gov Tech-Thon 2020, to incubate new ideas, boost innovation and use technology in agriculture and allied sectors. • It will help increase the use of technology, reduce the digital divide in agriculture, transportation and education and will help in delivering better governance. • Gov Tech-Thon 2020, a pan India 36 hours virtual Hackathon, to be organised from 30 October to 1st November, 2020. The Hackathon will be facilitated by IEEE. • The virtual hackathon is open to students, working professionals, startups, freelance technologists, faculty, and other IT service frms in India. During the hackathon, participants will receive mentorship and advice from technical experts from NIC, IEEE and Oracle, as well as senior domain experts from the Ministries of Agriculture, Education and Transport Departments. • Participating teams will have access to the latest tools from Oracle, Oracle Autonomous Database, built-in and easy-to-use cloud security, and compute – to help them develop prototypes that are practical and scalable. Additionally, they will be able to leverage open source technologies that bring benefts of high performance, reliability and data security.

About National Informatics Centre (NIC) • National Informatics Centre (NIC) is attached offce of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). NIC was established in 1976, and helps providing ICT and e-Governance support. It has emerged as a promoter of digital opportunities for sustainable development. NIC spearheaded “Informatics-Led-Development” by implementing ICT applications in social and public administration and facilitates electronic delivery of services to the government (G2G), business (G2B), citizen (G2C) and government employee (G2E). NIC, through its ICT Network, “NICNET”, has institutional linkages with all the Ministries /Departments of the Central Government, 37 State Governments/ Union Territories, and about 720+ District Administrations of India. • NIC has been closely associated with the Government in different aspects of Governance besides establishing a Nationwide State-of-the-Art ICT Infrastructure, it has also built a large number of digital solutions to support the government at various levels, making the last-mile delivery of government services to the citizens.

About IEEE Computer Society

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 55 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the beneft of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community to innovate for a better tomorrow through its more than 419,000 members in over 160 countries. • The IEEE Computer Society is the source for information, inspiration, and collaboration in computer science and engineering. Connecting members worldwide, the Computer Society empowers the people who advance technology by delivering tools for individuals at all stages of their professional careers.

About Oracle • The Oracle Cloud offers a complete suite of integrated applications for Sales, Service, Marketing, Human Resources, Finance, Supply Chain and Manufacturing, plus Highly Automated and Secure Generation 2 Infrastructure featuring the Oracle Autonomous Database.

93.Electoral bonds will be up for sale from 19 October • Electoral bonds are an alternative to cash donations made to political parties as part of efforts to bring transparency in political funding. • Electoral bonds can be purchased by a person who is a citizen of India or incorporated or established in India • SBI is the only authorized bank to issue such bonds. They are interest free denominations. • Only the Political Parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) and which secured not less than one per cent of the votes polled in the last General Election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of the State, are eligible to receive the Electoral Bonds. • The electoral bonds shall be encashed by an eligible political party only through a Bank account with the authorised bank. • An electoral bond will be valid for 15 days from the date of issue. • No payment will be made to any payee political party if the bond is deposited after expiry of the validity period. • The bond deposited by any eligible political party into its account will be credited on the same day. • The Election Commission of India has clearly laid out that No political functionary shall make any reference in this regard during any public speech or communication to the press or public in the constituencies going for poll. (Model code of conduct)

94.NHRC • To make the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) more inclusive and effcient, Lok Sabha passed the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which amends the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.

Amendment proposed • A person who has been a Judge of the Supreme Court is also made eligible to be appointed as Chairperson of the Commission in addition to the person who has been the Chief Justice of India. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 56 T.me/SleepyClasses • Increasing the members of the commission who have knowledge of human rights issues, from two to three, out of which one must be a woman; • Include Chairperson of the National Commission for Backward Classes, Chairperson of the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights and the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities as deemed Members of the Commission; • Reduces the term of the Chairperson and Members of the Commission and the State Commissions from fve to three years and shall be eligible for re-appointment; • A person who has been a Judge of the High Court is also made eligible to be appointed as Chairperson of the State Commission in addition to the person who has been the Chief Justice of the High Court; and, • Confer upon State Commissions, the functions relating to human rights being discharged by the Union territories, other than the Union territory of Delhi, which will be dealt with by the Commission.

95.CVC amends SOP for adoption of Integrity Pact in govt. organisations • The Central Vigilance Commission has amended the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on adoption of “Integrity Pact” in government organisations for procurement activities. • This order revises the SOP issued in January 2017. • It has restricted the maximum tenure of Integrity External Monitors (IEMs) to three years in an organisation. • The amended provision states that the choice of IEM should be restricted to offcials from the government and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) who have retired from positions of the level of Secretary to the Central government or of equivalent pay scale. • Such offcials who retired as Chairman and Managing Directors (CMDs) of PSUs — Schedule 'A' companies and CMD/Managing Director and Chief Executive Offcer levels in the Public Sector Banks (PSBs), insurance companies and fnancial institutions — should be at least of the level of Additional Secretary or its equivalent. • Offcers of the Armed Forces who have retired from the rank equivalent of General may also be considered for appointment. Preference would be given to persons who have worked in any other sector, other than their own, or have worked as CVO [Chief Vigilance Offcer] in any organization. • It provides that for appointment as IEM, the Ministry, department or organization concerned has to forward a panel of suitable persons to the CVC, of those persons who are in the panel maintained by the Commission. • The previous corresponding provision stated that the panel could include those already in the panel maintained by the Commission, or they could propose names of other suitable persons. • The latest order provides that the IEM will be appointed for a period of three years in an organization. • Integrity Pact is a vigilance tool that envisages an agreement between the prospective vendors/ bidders and the buyer, committing both the parties not to exercise any corrupt infuence on any aspect of the contract.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 57 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • The pact is also to ensure transparency, equity and competitiveness in public procurement. • The IEMs independently and objectively review the documents to determine if the parties have complied with their obligations under the pact. They may submit a report to the chief executive of the organisation concerned or directly to the CVO and the CVC, if they fnd serious irregularities attracting the Prevention of Corruption Act provisions. • Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) was created in 1964 to address governmental corruption.

✓ In 2003, the Parliament enacted a law conferring statutory status on the CVC. It has the status of an autonomous body, free of control from any executive authority, charged with monitoring all vigilance activity under the Central Government advising various authorities in central Government organizations in planning, executing, reviewing and reforming their vigilance work.

96.The Maharashtra government has withdrawn “general consent” given to the CBI to probe cases in the state. • The decision means the central agency will have to get consent from the state government for every case it registers in Maharashtra. • CBI functions under the superintendence of the Deptt. Of Personnel, Ministry of Personnel, Pension & Public Grievances, which falls under the PMO. • However for investigations of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, its superintendence vests with the Central Vigilance Commission. • It is also the nodal police agency in India which coordinates investigation on behalf of Interpol Member countries. • The CBI is divided into three categories when it comes to investigation.

✓ The Anti-Corruption Division that investigates cases against public servants under the control of the central government, public servants in public sector undertakings, also under the control of the central government, cases against public servants working under state governments, which have been entrusted to the CBI by the state, and serious departmental irregularities committed by the above mentioned.

✓ The Economic Offences Division investigates fnancial crimes, bank frauds, money laundering, illegal money market operations, graft in PSUs and banks.

✓ The Special Crimes Division handles cases of conventional nature such as offences relating to internal security, espionage, sabotage, narcotics and psychotropic substances, antiquities, murders, dacoities/robberies, and cheating among others.

✓ Maharashtra is not the frst state to fag this distrust of the federal agency: Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh have done the same in recent times.

✓ Kerela is on the line to do the same. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 58 T.me/SleepyClasses 97.SEC moves HC against govt • Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) fled a writ petition in the High Court seeking a direction to the government (Principal Secretaries of Finance and Panchayat Raj & Rural Development) to provide budget and release funds as and when a request is made by it (SEC) for conducting elections. • The SEC also prayed for assistance from the government in holding the civic polls. State Election Commissions (SECs) • The State Election Commission has been entrusted with the function of conducting free, fair and impartial elections to the local bodies in the state. • Article 243K(1): It states that the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls for, and the conduct of, all elections to the Panchayats (Municipalities under Article 243ZA) shall be vested in a State Election Commission consisting of a State Election Commissioner to be appointed by the Governor. • Article 243K (2): It states that the tenure and appointment will be directed as per the law made by the state legislature. However, State Election Commissioner shall not be removed from his/her offce except in like manner and on the like grounds as a Judge of a High Court. • The state governments need to follow the guidelines given by the Supreme Court in Kishan Singh Tomar vs Municipal Corporation of Ahmedabad case:

✓ The provisions of Article 243K of the Constitution, which provides for setting up of SECs, are almost identical to those of Article 324 related to the ECI.

✓ Also, the state governments should abide by orders of the SECs during the conduct of the panchayat and municipal elections, just like they follow the instructions of the EC during Assembly and Parliament polls.

98.Andhra CM’s allegations against a SC judge • The Issue: The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Jagan Mohan Reddy, in a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on October 6, has made serious allegations of interference in the course of administration of justice by Justice N V Ramana, the senior-most judge after the CJI and the next in line for the post.

✓ Justice Ramana, according to Reddy, is close to the former CM of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu, and has been infuencing the sittings of the high court judges of Andhra Pradesh — including the allocation of cases important to the — to a few chosen judges. • This situation is unprecedented and being termed as indulging in bench hunting. • It is being seen as is as an attempt to overreach “judicial proceedings”. • Allegations of misconduct against serving judges of the superior judiciary, that is, the various high courts and the Supreme Court, are dealt with through an ‘in-house procedure’. • When a complaint is received against a High Court judge, the Chief Justice concerned has to examine it. If it is frivolous or concerns a judicial matter, she may just fle the complaint and inform the Chief Justice of India. Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 59 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • If she considers it serious, she should get a response from the judge concerned. If she is satisfed with the response and feels no further action is required, she may close the matter and keep the CJI informed. • However, if the CJ feels a deeper probe is needed, she should send the complaint as well as the judge’s response to the CJI, with her own comments, for further action. • The procedure is the same if the CJI receives the complaint directly. The comments of the high court Chief Justice, the judge concerned and the complaint would be considered by the CJI. • If a deeper probe is required, a three-member committee, comprising two Chief Justices from other High Courts and one High Court judge, has to be formed. • The committee will hold a fact-fnding inquiry at which the judge concerned would be entitled to appear. It is not a formal judicial proceeding and does not involve lawyers or examination or cross- examination of witnesses. • If the charge is against a high court Chief Justice, the same procedure of getting the person’s response is followed by the CJI. If a deeper probe is deemed necessary, a three-member committee comprising a Supreme Court judge and two Chief Justices of other High Courts will be formed. • If the charge is against a Supreme Court judge, the committee would comprise three Supreme Court judges. There is no separate provision in the in-house procedure to deal with complaints against the CJI.

What are the possible outcomes from the inquiry committee? • If it fnds that there is substance in the allegations, the committee can either hold that the misconduct is serious enough to warrant removal from offce, or that it is not so serious as to warrant removal. • In the former case, it will call for initiation of proceedings to remove the judge. The judge concerned would be advised to resign or take voluntary retirement. If the judge is unwilling to quit, the Chief Justice of the High Court concerned would be advised to withdraw judicial work from him, and the President of India and the Prime Minister would be informed of the situation. • Such an action may clear the way for Parliament to begin the political process for impeachment. In case, the committee fnds substance in the allegation, but it is not grave enough to warrant removal from offce, the judge concerned would be advised accordingly, and the committee’s report will be placed on record.

99.Data Protection Bill and Amazon • Amazon, , Facebook, Google and are among the companies from whom the Joint Committee of Parliament (JCP) that is examining the draft Data Protection Bill has sought views on data security and protection amid concerns that the privacy of users is being “compromised” for commercial interest. • Amazon declined to depose before the panel stating that its “subject experts” cannot take the risk of travelling from the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic. • Facebook India executives were asked whether they obtain the consent of its users before their data is shared with third parties. • They told the panel that Facebook does sell data but arrived at inferences based on user behaviour. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 60 T.me/SleepyClasses

• Amazon’s “refusal” amounts to a breach of parliamentary privilege according to JCP. 100.New Nursing Act • Context: The Centre has moved to replace the 73-year-old Indian Nursing Council Act with a new legislation. • The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has fnalised National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill 2020 to replace the Indian Nursing Council Act 1947 • At present, there are different undergraduate nursing examinations conducted by different medical institutes that require an aspirant to keep track of these through the year. • However, a common test would integrate the system similar to National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for undergraduate medical courses. • This would completely change the current system as nursing professionals would also require to undertake a National Exit test in the fnal year of the nursing or midwifery course. • The draft Bill replaces the Indian Nursing Council with a new representative body called National Nursing and Midwifery Commission. • This body, which would have representatives of the Centre and the states would :

✓ Frame policies for regulating nursing and midwifery institutions.

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✓ Provide standards of education, physical and instructional facilities, assessment, examination, training, research, continuing professional education, maximum tuition fee payable in respect of various categories. • Provide standards for nursing and midwifery faculty and clinical facility in teaching institutions and frame policies and codes to ensure observance of professional ethics in nursing and midwifery profession. • Similar to the newly-constituted National Medical Commission, the proposed commission would have different boards to regulate undergraduate and postgraduate education and asses and rate different institutions offering courses. • Every nurse and midwife would have to register with the state boards and a national register would be maintained to track all qualifed and practising nursing professionals.

101.Legislation on ‘freedom of religion’ • Context: Some states want to ban conversion of religion for the sole purpose of marriage. • Constitution: Article 9 protects your right to freedom of thought, belief and religion. What are the provisions of the Special Marriage Act? • The Special Marriage Act, 1954 (SMA) was enacted to facilitate the marriage of couples professing different faiths and preferring a civil wedding. • However, some practical problems arise in registering such marriages. • The law’s features on prior public notice being given and objections being called place a question mark on the safety and privacy of those intending to marry across religions. • Many settle for marriage under the personal law of one of them, with the other opting for religious conversion. • Even this option is now seen as a threat to religion itself. What are the features of the SMA? • The marriage of any two persons may be solemnised under the SMA, subject to the man having completed 21 years of age and the woman 18. • Neither should have a spouse living; both should be capable of giving valid consent, should not suffer from any mental disorder of a kind that renders them unft for marriage and procreation. • They should not be within the degrees of prohibited relationship — that is, they should not be related in such a way that their religion does not permit such marriages. • Parties to an intended marriage should give notice to the ‘marriage offcer’ of the district in which one of them had resided for at least 30 days. • The notice will have to be entered in a ‘Marriage Notice Book’ and a copy of it displayed at a conspicuous place in the offce. • The Notice Book is open for inspection at all reasonable times without a fee.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 62 T.me/SleepyClasses • Further, if either of the parties is not a permanent resident of the district, the marriage offcer has to send a copy to his counterpart in the district where the party has permanent residence. • The notice shall be displayed in that district offce too. • The marriage has to be solemnised within three months of the notice, and if it is not, a fresh notice will be needed. • The law also provides for objections to the marriage. • Any person can object to the marriage within 30 days of the publication of the notice on the ground that it contravenes one of the conditions for a valid marriage. • The marriage offcer has to inquire into the objection and give a decision within 30 days. • If he refuses permission for the marriage, an appeal can be made to the district court. • Also court’s decision will be fnal. • Also, the Act says that when a member of an undivided family who professes Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh or Jaina religions, gets married under SMA, it results in his or her “severance” from the family.

What are the hurdles faced by couples? • The provisions relating to notice, publication and objection have rendered it diffcult for many people intending to solemnise inter-faith marriages. • Publicity in the local registration offce may mean that family members objecting to the union may seek to stop it by coercion. • In many cases, there may be a threat to the lives of the applicants. • There have been reports of right-wing groups opposed to inter-faith marriages keeping a watch on the notice boards of marriage offces and taking down the details of the parties so that they can be dissuaded or coerced into abandoning the idea.

102.All insults not offence under SC/ST Act: Supreme Court • All insults or intimidations to persons belonging to or tribal communities will not be an offence under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Supreme Court said in a judgment. • The court said the insult should be specifcally intended to humiliate the victim for his caste. The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2018. • Section 18A states that:

✓ For the Prevention of Atrocities Act, the preliminary enquiry shall not be required for registration of a First Information Report against any person.

✓ The provision of section 438 (pre-arrest bail) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) shall not apply to a case under the Act, notwithstanding any judgment or order or direction of any Court.

✓ It added Section 18A to the original Act.

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✓ It delineates specifc crimes against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as atrocities and describes strategies and prescribes punishments to counter these acts.

✓ It identifes what acts constitute “atrocities” and all offences listed in the Act are cognizable. The police can arrest the offender without a warrant and start an investigation into the case without taking any orders from the court.

✓ The Act calls upon all the states to convert an existing sessions court in each district into a Special Court to try cases registered under it and provides for the appointment of Public Prosecutors/ Special Public Prosecutors for conducting cases in special courts.

✓ It creates provisions for states to declare areas with high levels of caste violence to be “atrocity- prone” and to appoint qualifed offcers to monitor and maintain law and order.

✓ It provides for the punishment for willful neglect of duties by non-SC/ST public servants.

✓ It is implemented by the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations, which are provided due central assistance.

103.Haryana clears Bill on right to recall panchayat member • Haryana Panchayati Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2020:

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✓ The Haryana Assembly passed a Bill which provides the right to recall members of Panchayati Raj institutions to those who elected them.

✓ It gives women 50% reservation in these rural bodies.

✓ The Bill also proposed 8% reservation to the “more disadvantaged” among the Backward Classes.

✓ The Bill allows the recall of village sarpanches and members of the block-level panchayat samitis and district-level zila parishads if they fail to perform.

✓ The amendment is aimed at increasing their accountability to the voters.

✓ To recall a sarpanch and members of the two bodies, 50% members of a ward or gram sabha have to give in writing that they want to initiate proceedings.

✓ This will be followed by a secret ballot, in which their recall will require two-third members voting against them.

✓ Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) is a system of rural local self-government in India.

✓ Local Self Government is the management of local affairs by such local bodies who have been elected by the local people.

✓ PRI was constitutionalized through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 to build democracy at the grass roots level and was entrusted with the task of rural development in the country.

Constitution 73rd and 74th Amendments • These amendments added two new parts to the Constitution, namely, added Part IX titled “The Panchayats” (added by 73rd Amendment) and Part IXA titled “The Municipalities” (added by 74th Amendment). • Basic units of democratic system-Gram Sabhas (villages) and Ward Committees (Municipalities) comprising all the adult members registered as voters. • Three-tier system of panchayats at village, intermediate block/taluk/mandal and district levels except in States with population is below 20 lakhs (Article 243B). Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 65 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Seats at all levels to be flled by direct elections Article 243C (2). • Seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) and the chairpersons of the Panchayats at all levels also shall be reserved for SCs and STs in proportion to their population. • One-third of the total number of seats to be reserved for women. • One-third of the seats reserved for SCs and STs also reserved for women. • One-third offces of chairpersons at all levels reserved for women (Article 243D) • Uniform fve year term and elections to constitute new bodies to be completed before the expiry of the term • In the event of dissolution, elections compulsorily within six months (Article 243E) • Independent Election Commission in each State for superintendence, direction and control of the electoral rolls (Article 243K). • Panchayats to prepare plans for economic development and social justice in respect of subjects as devolved by law to the various levels of Panchayats including the subjects as illustrated in Eleventh Schedule (Article 243G). • 74th Amendment provides for a District Planning Committee to consolidate the plans prepared by Panchayats and Municipalities (Article 243ZD). • Budgetary allocation from State Governments, share of revenue of certain taxes, collection and retention of the revenue it raises, Central Government programmes and grants, Union Finance Commission grants (Article 243H). • Establish a Finance Commission in each State to determine the principles on the basis of which adequate fnancial resources would be ensured for panchayats and municipalities (Article 243I). • The Eleventh Scheduled of the Constitution places as many as 29 functions within the purview of the Panchayati Raj bodies.

104.Breach of privilege • Context: Supreme Court granted respite to Arnab Goswami in breach of privilege case, issued notice to Maharashtra Assembly Secretary.

What constitutes a breach of this privilege? • While the Constitution has accorded special privileges and powers to parliamentarians and legislators to maintain the dignity and authority of the Houses, these powers and privileges are not codifed. • Thus, there are no clear, notifed rules to decide what constitutes a breach of privilege, and the punishment it attracts. • Any act that obstructs or impedes either House of the state legislature in performing its functions, or which obstructs or impedes any Member or offcer of such House in the discharge of his duty, or has a tendency, directly or indirectly, to produce such results is treated as breach of privilege.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 66 T.me/SleepyClasses • It is a breach of privilege and contempt of the House to make speeches or to print or publish libel refecting on the character or proceedings of the House, or its Committees, or on any member of the House for or relating to his character or conduct as a legislator.

Which provisions of the Constitution protect the privileges of the legislature? • The powers, privileges and immunities of either House of the Indian Parliament and of its Members and committees are laid down in Article 105 of the Constitution. • Article 194 deals with the powers, privileges and immunities of the State Legislatures, their Members and their committees. • Parliamentary privilege refers to the right and immunity enjoyed by legislatures, in which legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made in the course of their legislative duties.

What is the procedure to be followed in cases of alleged breach of the legislature’s privilege? • The Legislative Assembly Speaker or Legislative Council Chairman constitutes a Privileges Committee consisting of 15 members in the Assembly and 11 members in the Council. • The members to the committee are nominated based on the party strength in the Houses. • The Speaker or Chairman frst decides on the motions. “If the privilege and contempt are found prima facie, then the Speaker or Chairman will forward it to the Privileges Committee by following the due procedure. • The Committee, has quasi-judicial powers, seeks an explanation from all the concerned, conducts an inquiry and make a recommendations based on the fndings to the state legislature for its consideration.

What is the punishment for an individual who is found guilty of breaching the legislature’s privilege? • If the Committee fnds the offender guilty of breach of privilege and contempt, it can recommend the punishment. • The punishment can include communicating the displeasure of the state legislature to the offender, summoning the offender before the House and giving a warning, and even sending the offender to jail. • In the case of the media, press facilities of the state legislature may be withdrawn, and a public apology may be sought.

105.Vital statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System- 2018 • Sex ratio at birth is number of females born per thousand males. • The prescribed time limit for registration of birth or death is 21 days. • Some states however register the births and deaths even after a year. • The birth or death certifcate is issued free of charge by the Registrar concerned if reported within 21 days. Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 67 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • If reported within 21-30 days, it can be registered on payment of the prescribed fee. • If the duration is more than 30 days but within a year, it can be registered with the written permission of the prescribed authority and on production of an affdavit made before a notary public or any other offcer authorized by the State government and on payment of a fee. • Births and deaths reported after one year of occurrence shall be registered only on an order of the Magistrate of the First Class after verifying the correctness and on payment of the prescribed fee. • The ratio was determined on the basis of data provided by 30 States and Union Territories as the requisite information from six States namely Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal is not available. • The report is published by the Registrar General of India. • Arunachal Pradesh recorded the best sex ratio in the country while Manipur recorded the worst sex ratio. • State performances: ✓ Arunachal Pradesh recorded 1,084 ✓ Lakshadweep (839) females born per thousand males; ✓ Daman & Diu (877) ✓ Nagaland (965) ✓ Punjab (896) ✓ Mizoram (964) ✓ Gujarat (896) ✓ Kerala (963) ✓ Delhi (929) ✓ Karnataka (957) ✓ Haryana (914) ✓ Manipur (757) ✓ Jammu and Kashmir (952) 106.Accused has right to ‘default’ bail if investigation not completed in time: Supreme Court • An accused, irrespective of the merits of the case against him, should be granted “default” or “compulsive” bail if the investigating agency does not complete the probe within a prescribed time limit, the Supreme Court has held in a judgment. • Even in England, even a person accused of grave offences such as treason could not be indefnitely detained in prison till commencement of the trial. • The court held that an accused has an “indefeasible right” to default bail under Section 167(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure if the probe agency failed to complete the investigation on time. • Under Section 167, an accused can be detained in custody for a maximum of 90 days for a crime punishable with death, life imprisonment or a sentence of over 10 years. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 68 T.me/SleepyClasses • It is 60 days of detention if the investigation relates to any other offence. • In some special statutes such as the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the period of detention can extend to 180 days. • These time-limits were set to ensure that agencies do not use the ruse of an ongoing probe to keep people behind bars indefnitely. • The deadlines in the Section balance the need for suffcient time to complete the probe even as it recognizes the need to protect the personal liberty of the accused. • Personal liberty is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. • Section 167(2) provides for a clear mandate that the investigative agency must collect the required evidence within the prescribed time period, failing which the accused can no longer be detained. • This ensures that the investigating offcers are compelled to act swiftly and effciently without misusing the prospect of further remand. • This also ensures that the Court takes cognizance of the case without any undue delay from the date of giving information of the offence • Magistrates have to mandatorily inform the accused persons, especially those from the poor sections of the society, of their statutory right to apply for default bail. • Any court, which adjourns an application for bail to favor the prosecution, is acting in violation of the legislative mandate. • Section 167(2) has three clear objectives — fair trial, expeditious investigation and the setting down of a rationalized procedure to protect the poor sections of the society. • The judgment came in an appeal fled by a man accused under the NDPS Act in 2018. • He was granted default bail by the trial court after 180 days of custody. 107.What is contempt of court, and why does the A-G have to consent to these proceedings. • Context: A stand-up comedian will face contempt of court charges for his tweets following the Supreme Court's decision to grant interim bail to television anchor. • Attacking the Supreme Court of India unjustifably and brazenly attracts punishment under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. • Contempt of court seeks to protect judicial institutions from motivated attacks and unwarranted criticism, and as a legal mechanism to punish those who lower its authority. • According to the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, contempt of court can either be civil contempt or criminal contempt. • Civil contempt means willful disobedience of any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or other process of a court, or willful breach of an undertaking given to a court.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 69 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Criminal contempt, on the other hand, is attracted by the publication (whether by words, spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representations, or otherwise) of any matter or the doing of any other act whatsoever which:

✓ Scandalises or tends to scandalise, or lowers or tends to lower the authority of, any court; or

✓ Prejudices, or interferes or tends to interfere with, the due course of any judicial proceeding; or

✓ Interferes or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends to obstruct, the administration of justice in any other manner.

But why is the A-G’s consent needed to initiate contempt of court proceedings? • Subsection 1 of Section 15 (Cognizance of criminal contempt in other cases) of The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 reads: • “In the case of a criminal contempt, other than a contempt referred to in Section 14 (“Procedure where contempt is in the face of the Supreme Court or a High Court”), the Supreme Court or the High Court may take action on its own motion or on a motion made by (a) the Advocate-General, or (b) any other person, with the consent in writing of the Advocate-General…”.

What is the punishment for contempt of court? • According to the Act, contempt of court may be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fne which may extend to two thousand rupees, or with both, provided that the accused may be discharged or the punishment awarded may be remitted on apology being made to the satisfaction of the court.

✓ The Supreme Court recently found an activist-advocate guilty of contempt of court for two of his tweets, and imposed a token fne of Re 1 on him after he refused to apologise.

What is the statutory basis for contempt of court? • There were pre-Independence laws of contempt in India. • Besides the early High Courts, the courts of some princely states also had such laws. • When the Constitution was adopted, contempt of court was made one of the restrictions on freedom of speech and expression. • Separately, Article 129 of the Constitution conferred on the Supreme Court the power to punish contempt of itself. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 70 T.me/SleepyClasses • Article 215 conferred a corresponding power on the High Courts. • The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, gives statutory backing to the idea. What is not contempt of court? • Fair and accurate reporting of judicial proceedings will not amount to contempt of court. • Nor is any fair criticism on the merits of a judicial order after a case is heard and disposed of. Is truth a defence against a contempt charge? • For many years, truth was seldom considered a defence against a charge of contempt. • There was an impression that the judiciary tended to hide any misconduct among its individual members in the name of protecting the image of the institution. • The Act was amended in 2006 to introduce truth as a valid defence, if it was in public interest and was invoked in a bona fde manner.

108.India, ASEAN to expand trade despite RCEP walkout • Context: Fifteen Asia-Pacifc countries — with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of over $26 trillion and comprising nearly one- third of the world's population — signed the world's biggest trade deal at the 37th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit on November 15. • ASEAN: It is an intergovernmental organization of ten Southeast Asian countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, , Thailand, and Vietnam. • The bloc’s biggest success has been promoting economic integration among members. • It has also signed six free trade agreements with other regional economies. • ASEAN has struggled to form a cohesive response to China’s claims in the South China Sea, which confict with those of several members. • In November 2019, PM had told the RCEP summit that India was walking out of the Free Trade Agreement after negotiations for more than six years, as it did not address India’s concerns about being fooded by goods from China, trade defcits and need to protect its agricultural and dairy sectors. • The remainder of the RCEP countries then continued with the talks minus India, and have decided to sign the FTA, which will encompass about 30% of global trade. • They are expected to leave in a clause allowing India to rejoin at a later date. • ASEAN is India’s fourth largest trading partner with about $86.9 Bn in trade.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 71 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • However, experts have warned that once the FTA is adopted, trade between RCEP nations will assume primacy, which could affect trade ties with other countries including India. • All countries stressed the importance of “a rules-based order in the region including through upholding adherence to international law, especially the UNCLOS. • The leaders affrmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, safety and security in the South China Sea in particular freedom of navigation and over fight. • The agreement means a lot for China, as it will give it access to Japanese and South Korean markets in a big way, as the three countries have not yet agreed on their FTA. • Concerns regarding China were refected as it is understood that staying out of RCEP may interfere with India’s bilateral trading with the RCEP member-countries.

109.UAE to extend ‘golden’ visa’s eligibility criteria • The will extend its “golden” visa system — which grants 10-year residency to certain professionals, specialised degree-holders and others. • Foreigners in the UAE usually have renewable visas valid for only a few years tied to employment. • The government in the past couple of years has made its visa policy more fexible, offering longer residencies for certain types of investors, students and professionals. • All holders of doctorate degrees, medical doctors and also computer, electronics, programming, electrical and biotechnology engineers are eligible. • Also eligible are those with specialised degrees in artifcial intelligence, big data and epidemiology, as well as high school students living in the UAE who rank top in the country and students from certain universities with a GPA of 3.8 or higher. • After frst announcing a long-term visa plan in 2018, the UAE in 2019 started granting 5- and 10-year renewable visas to certain foreign investors, entrepreneurs, chief executives, scientists and outstanding students

110.Kerala’s law to curb abusive content • Context: On November 21, the governor of Kerala promulgated The Kerala Police (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 as the legislative assembly is not in session. The cabinet had submitted its recommendation to the governor in late October. With this ordinance, a new Section 118A has been introduced in the Kerala Police Act, 2011. • This is being widely viewed as a brazen assault on freedom of speech. • The new Section 118A reads:

✓ Punishment for making, expressing, publishing or disseminating any matter which is threatening, abusive, humiliating or defamatory: “Whoever makes, expresses, publishes or disseminates through any kind of mode of communication, any matter or subject for threatening, abusing, humiliating or defaming a person or class of persons, knowing it to be false and that causes injury to the mind, reputation or property of such person or class of persons or any other person in whom they have interest shall on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fne which may extend to ten thousand rupees or with both.” www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 72 T.me/SleepyClasses • Counters freedom of speech guaranteed under the constitution:

✓ In many ways, the new legal section in Kerala is acutely reminiscent of Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which was struck down by the Supreme Court in the case of Shreya Singhal (2015) as ultra vires the Constitution.

✓ In the same judgment, the Supreme Court had struck down Section 118(d) of the Kerala Police Act also as unconstitutional. • Section 118(d) read:

✓ “Any person who causes annoyance to any person in an indecent manner by statements or verbal or comments or telephone calls or calls of any type or by chasing or sending messages or mails by any means; shall, on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fne not exceeding ten thousand rupees or with both.” • The Supreme Court held ✓“What has been said about Section 66A would apply directly to Section 118(d) of the Kerala Police Act, as causing annoyance in an indecent manner suffers from the same type of vagueness and over breadth, that led to the invalidity of Section 66A, and for the reasons given for striking down Section 66A, Section 118(d) also violates Article 19(1)(a) and not being a reasonable restriction on the said right and not being saved under any of the subject matters contained in Article 19(2) is hereby declared to be unconstitutional.”

✓It can be easily seen that the new Section 118A tries to introduce the unconstitutional Section 118(d) of the Kerala Police Act or Section 66A of the Information Technology in a different dressing.

✓The outlawed sections spoke of vague notions like ‘annoyance’ and ‘inconvenience’, which are not defned in law anywhere. • The new Section 118(A) speaks of an equally vague concept, ‘humiliating’, which is also not defned in law anywhere.

Potential for abuse and rumblings of a police state • The Ordinance has the potential for great abuse against lay people and the media alike. • It gives enormous, unbridled powers to the police.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 73 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Anybody could be accused of humiliating someone and prosecuted. • Further, since the new law would enable the police to take action suo motu, it obviously increases the possibility of abuse. • Moreover, since cyber space does not have jurisdictional limits, it means that an online spat with a Malayali living anywhere in the world could theoretically result in a case being registered in his hometown in Kerala, on the ground that he had been ‘humiliated in the eyes of his friends out there’. • Even if it is argued that it is intended to protect women and children from bullying or abuse in the cyber space, there is no evidence that the objective could not be achieved by existing laws. • They include Section 67 IT Act (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form); Section 506 IPC (punishment for criminal intimidation); Section 509 IPC (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman); Section 500 IPC (punishment for defamation); or Section 119(b) Kerala Police Act (taking photographs or recording videos or propagating them at any place in a manner affecting the reasonable privacy of women). • There is no study duly backed by data, which could support a presumption regarding inadequacy of existing laws.

111.Election Commission and party symbols • Context : Kerala High Court dismissed the petitions challenging the Election Commission's order declaring the group led by Jose K Mani as the offcial Kerala Congress (M) and granting it the offcial election symbol of “two leaves”. • The Court cannot, in the exercise of the jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, interfere with the fnding of the Commission. • The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 empowers the EC to recognise political parties and allot symbols.

What is the signifcance of symbols in elections? • In a vast and diverse country like India, where several nondescript and small political parties try out their luck in state elections, symbols are crucial campaigning tools to connect with the voters. • Symbols have become a crucial part of the electoral process ever since India held its frst national polls in 1951-52. • Since nearly 85 per cent of the electorate were illiterate at that point, visual symbols were allotted to parties and candidates to help them identify the party of their choice.

How many types of symbols are there? • As per the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) (Amendment) Order, 2017, party symbols are either “reserved” or “free”. • While eight national parties and 64 state parties across the country have “reserved” symbols, the Election Commission also has a pool of nearly 200 “free” symbols that are allotted to the thousands of unrecognised regional parties that pop up before elections. • According to EC, there are 2,538 unrecognised parties in India. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 74 T.me/SleepyClasses • For example, if a party recognised in a particular state contests in elections in another state, it can “reserve” the symbol being used by it, provided the symbol is not being used or bears resemblance to that of any other party.

How are symbols allotted to political parties? • The order, frst promulgated in 1968, mandates the Election Commission to provide for “specifcation, reservation, choice and allotment of symbols at parliamentary and assembly elections, for the recognition of political parties”. • As per the guidelines, to get a symbol allotted, a party/candidate has to provide a list of three symbols from the EC’s free symbols list at the time of fling nomination papers. • Among them, one symbol is allotted to the party/candidate on a frst-come-frst-serve basis. • When a recognised political party splits, the Election Commission takes the decision on assigning the symbol. • For example, when the Samajwadi Party split, the EC allotted the ‘bicycle’ to the Akhilesh Yadav faction.

112.Matritva Poshan Yojana • Rajasthan Govt: 6,000 rupees will be given to women becoming mothers for the second time under a new government scheme. • The benefciary women will get the amount directly in their bank accounts in fve phases. • On the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Indira Gandhi Matritva Poshan Yojana was launched. • The scheme will not only help fght malnutrition, but will also increase awareness among the people about the importance of a mother’s health and her nutrition level for proper development of children. • More than 77,000 women will be beneftted from the scheme every year. • There will be an annual expenditure of Rs 43 crore for the scheme, according to the statement. • The objective of the Indira Gandhi Matritva Poshan Yojana is to improve the nutrition level of pregnant women and children up to the age of three years. • The scheme will be implemented in Udaipur, Pratapgarh, Banswara and Dungarpur, where nutrition indicators among children and anaemia levels among mothers are worse than the average for the State. • The State scheme will complement the Central government’s Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana which offers ₹5,000 for the birth of the frst child.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 75 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Benefciaries will receive cash in three or fve instalments upon meeting certain conditions. • However, unlike the Central scheme they will not have to submit an Aadhaar card for the State scheme and the money will be transferred directly to their bank accounts.

113.Winter Session of Parliament • The Indian Parliament normally meets for three sessions in a year :

✓ Budget Session (February-May)

✓ Monsoon Session (July-August)

✓ Winter Session (November-December). • The Constitution, however, does not specify the number of times the Parliament should meet each year. • Article 85 of the Constitution says: ‘The President shall from time to time summon each House of Parliament to meet at such time and place as he thinks ft, but six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its frst sitting in the next session.’ • This means that even if the Parliament meets only twice a year, it would be constitutionally a valid practice. • However, except for the exceptions mentioned above, three sessions of Parliament have been held regularly since its constitution in 1952, though there have been innovations and adaptations in holding the session as well. • For example, to ensure that the Demands for Grants of various Ministries could be discussed by the Departmentally-related Standing Committees constituted in 1993, Lok Sabha split its budget session in 1994 into two periods – from 21 February 1994 to 19 March 1994 and 18 April 1994 to 13 May 1994. • The Committees utilised the intervening period of about a month for consideration of the Demands for Grants. In 2016, the monsoon session became the third session of the year, as the Budget Session was converted into two separate sessions to enable the issuance of an Ordinance. • The 2020 winter session of parliament is unlikely to take place, several reports have suggested, coronavirus cases in the national capital continue to rise quickly. • The delayed monsoon session of parliament had to be adjourned early, in September, after a number of MPs contracted COVID-19. The Budget session had also been cut short because of the pandemic. • If the winter session does not take place, the next session of parliament will likely begin in January – the Budget session. • There were only three instances in the past when the winter session was scrapped entirely – 1975, 1979 and 1984. • If the 2020 session is cancelled too, it will mean that all sessions of parliament in this year have been impacted by the pandemic. • It may turn out to be the year with the fewest days of parliament functioning. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 76 T.me/SleepyClasses • Parliament session dates and duration are usually announced by the cabinet committee on parliamentary affairs, which takes the decision in a meeting and then sends recommendations to the president. • However, this time the committee has not met yet and no meeting is planned. • According to the constitution, there should not be a gap of more than six months between two parliament sessions. • Since the monsoon session was held in September, the government is not compelled to call another session till February.

114.Chandigarh: Punjab and Haryana • Context: Haryana Deputy Chief Minister said it would be better if both Haryana and Punjab agreed on Chandigarh as a Union Territory and make their independent capitals and Benches of High Courts.

Why was Chandigarh created? • Chandigarh was planned to replace Lahore, the capital of erstwhile Punjab, which became part of Pakistan during the Partition. • In March 1948, the Government of (India’s) Punjab, in consultation with the Centre, approved the area of the foothills of the Shivaliks as the site for the new capital. • From 1952 to 1966 (till Haryana was carved out of Punjab), Chandigarh remained the capital of Punjab.

How did it become a shared capital? • At the time of re-organisation of Punjab in 1966, the city assumed the unique distinction of being the capital of both Punjab and Haryana. • As it was declared a union territory and was placed under the direct control of the Centre. • The properties in Chandigarh were to be divided in 60:40 ratio in favour of Punjab

Punjab’s claim • The-then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had announced that Haryana, in due course, would have its own capital and Chandigarh would go to Punjab. • As per documents submitted in the Lok Sabha, the Centre had even issued a formal communication is this regard on January 29, 1970, almost three years after Haryana came into being.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 77 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • In 1985, under the Rajiv-Longowal accord, Chandigarh was to be handed over to Punjab on January 26, 1986, but the government withdrew at the last minute.

Haryana’s counter-claim • As per the 1970 documents, the Centre had considered various alternatives for settling the matter, including dividing the city. • But that wasn’t feasible since Chandigarh was built as a planned city to serve as the capital of one state. • Haryana was told to use the offce and residential accommodation in Chandigarh only for fve years till it shifts to its own new capital. • The Centre had offered Rs 10 crore grants to Haryana and an equal amount of loan for setting up the new capital. • In 2018, Haryana CM suggested to set up a special body for development of Chandigarh, but the Punjab CM rejected it, saying the city “indisputably belonged to Punjab”. • In Oct 2019, Punjab and Haryana High Court asked Punjab and Haryana to come out with some document to show that Chandigarh was capital of the two states, the Punjab government has claimed that the city enjoyed the independent status of a union territory (UT). • It said Chandigarh is capital of two states, but is neither part of Punjab nor Haryana. • Chandigarh has an independent status of a UT. It is neither part of the state of Punjab nor Haryana but is a UT governed by the Administrator appointed by the President under Article 239 of the Constitution.

115.J&K’s Roshni Act • Context: J&K administration is making the names of the benefciaries of the now-nullifed Roshni Act public, a petition has been fled before the Supreme Court by the benefciaries claiming they “were not even heard by the J&K High Court as it passed the directions.”

Land grab through Roshni Act • J&K was the frst region in India to implement a land reform law in 1950 but a lot of land grab took place due to lax governance, with political elites encroaching on valuable land. • In 2001, J&K Govt enacted the Jammu and Kashmir State Land (Vesting of Ownership to the Occupants) Act that sought to regularise unauthorised land. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 78 T.me/SleepyClasses • Anybody who had grabbed this land in the past, could now come to the government, make an application and pay a certain fee. • Once the fee was paid, the land or property would be regularised in the hands of the owner. • The J&K government then said they would collect fees to the tune of roughly Rs 25,000 crore, which would then be used to upgrade the region’s electricity generation, thus bringing “roshni” into the lives of the Kashmiris.

Amendments to Roshni Act over the years • A major problem of the Roshni Act was that it applied to only those who had grabbed land by 1990. Therefore, there were a lot of complaints from those who had taken land between 1990 and 2001. • In 2003 J&K Govt amended the law to shift the cut-off date from 1990 to 2004. • People began grabbing more and more land… or buying it from the poor… on the presumption that this will soon get regularized. • In 2007, the cut-off date was further shifted to 2007. • However, in 2014, a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) found irregularities in the transfer of the encroached land to occupants from 2007 to 2013. • The report noted that the government had only collected Rs 76 crore of the estimated Rs. 25,000 crore. • In 2018, J&K Governor repealed the Roshni Act. • Now anybody who has already got his land regularised by paying the fee, that is okay. But no fresh applications can come in now. • Under this, 71,000 acres of land in Jammu and 4,174 acres of land in Kashmir were regularized. • Now, the government has set up a committee to recover all the land that was regularised through the Roshni Act, in the next six months. • This will be diffcult because after people got the land, they must have started building houses and using it in other ways.

116.U.P. Unlawful Religious Conversion Prohibition Ordinance, 2020 • Context: The ordinance titled, Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 (Uttar Pradesh Vidhi Virudh Dharma Samparivartan Pratishedh Adhyadhesh, 2020 in Hindi) was cleared by the State Cabinet.

✓ While the ordinance has been a subject of intense debate due to the implications it could have on inter-faith marriages, the ordinance governs not just inter-faith marriages but all religious conversions.

Some of the key provisions of the ordinance are: • Defnition of religion Section and allurement:

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✓ 'Religion' has been defned in [Section 2(h)] as any organized system of worship pattern, faith, belief, worship, or lifestyle as prevailing in India or any part of it and defned under any law or custom for the time being in force.

✓ 'Allurement' [Section 2(a)] means any gift, gratifcation, easy money or material beneft either in cash or kind, employment, free education in a reputed school run by any religious body or better lifestyle, divine pleasure or otherwise. • Defnition of religion convertor:

✓ 'Religion Convertor' [Section 2(i)] means a person of any religion who performs any act of conversion from one religion to another religion and by whatever name he is called such as Father, Karmkandi, Maulvi or Mulla, etc.

• What does the ordinance prohibit?

✓ One of the key provisions of the ordinance is Section 3.

✓ It states that no person shall convert or attempt to convert either directly or otherwise any other person from one religion to another by use or practice of misrepresentation, force, undue infuence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage nor shall any person abet, convince or conspire such conversion. • Who can lodge an FIR?

✓ As per Section 4, any aggrieved person, his/her parents, brother, sister, or any other person who is related to him/her by blood, marriage, or adoption may lodge an FIR of such conversion which contravenes the provisions of Section 3. • Punishment:

✓ Section 5 prescribes punishment for contravention of Section 3.

✓ A person found guilty of offence under Section 3 will be punishable with imprisonment from 1 to 5 years and fne of upto Rs. 15, 000.

✓ Importantly, however, contravention of Section 3 with respect to a minor, woman or a person belonging to Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe shall attract a punishment of imprisonment between 2 to 10 years and shall also be liable to fne of up to Rs. 25,000.

✓ A person previously convicted under section 3, if found guilty for a second time, will be punishable with the double the punishment prescribed. • Effect on marriage:

✓ One of the most debated aspect of the ordinance is the implications it will have on inter-faith marriages.

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✓ Section 6 states that any marriage which was done for the sole purpose of unlawful conversion or vice-versa by the man of one religion with the woman of another religion, either by converting himself/herself before or after marriage or by converting the woman before or after marriage, shall be declared void by the family court or where the family court is not established, by the court having jurisdiction to try such case on a petition presented by either party thereto against the other party of the marriage. • Procedure for conversion:

✓ As stated earlier, the ordinance does not affect just inter-faith marriages. Anybody who wishes to convert from one religion to another has to go through the procedure prescribed by the ordinance. The procedure is laid down in Sections 8 and 9. • Prior notice:

✓ As per the Section 8, one who desires to convert his or her religion should give a declaration in the form prescribed in Schedule I at least sixty days in advance to the or the Additional District Magistrate specially authorized by District Magistrate, that he wishes to convert his/her religion on his/her own and with his or her free consent without any force, coercion, undue infuence or allurement.

✓ The Religious Convertor who is slated to perform the conversion ceremony should also give a one month's advance notice in the form prescribed in Schedule II of such conversion to the District Magistrate or the Additional District Magistrate appointed for the same by the District Magistrate.

✓ Thereafter, the police will conduct a police inquiry to ascertain the real intention, purpose, and cause of the proposed religious conversion.

✓ A person undergoing religious conversion who violates Section 8 shall be punished with imprisonment between 6 months and 3 years and fne which is not below Rs. 10,000.

✓ A religious converter who violates Section 8 shall be punished with imprisonment between 1 to and 5 years and fne which is not less than Rs. 25,000. • Declaration post conversion:

✓ Section 9 lays down the procedure to be followed post conversion.

✓ It mandates that a converted person should send a declaration in the form prescribed in Schedule III within 60 days of the date of conversion to the District Magistrate of the district within which the person ordinarily resides.

✓ The declaration should contain all requisite details including permanent address, place of residence, the religion to which the person originally belonged and the religion to which the person has converted.

✓ The converted individual should then appear before the District Magistrate within 21 days from the date of sending of declaration to confrm the contents of the declaration.

✓ The District Magistrate will record the contents of the declaration and the confrmation in a register maintained by him for this purpose.

✓ Contravention of provisions of Section 9 will render the conversion illegal and void.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 81 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Burden of proof on accused:

✓ Another crucial provision in the ordinance is Section 12.

✓ It states that the burden of proof as to whether a religious conversion was effected through misrepresentation, force, undue infuence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage, lies on the person who has caused the conversion and, where such conversion has been facilitated by any person, on such other person.

117.President’s powers to pardon- in US, India • Context: US President exercised his powers under the Constitution to pardon, his former National Security Advisor, who had twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

How US President pardons • The President of the US has the constitutional right to pardon or commute sentences related to federal crimes. • The US Supreme Court has held that this power is “granted without limit” and cannot be restricted by Congress. • Clemency is a broad executive power, and is discretionary — meaning the President is not answerable for his pardons, and does not have to provide a reason for issuing one. • But there are a few limitations. For instance, Article II, Section 2 of the US Constitution says all Presidents “shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment”. • The power only applies to federal crimes and not state crimes — those pardoned by the President can still be tried under the laws of individual states.

How Indian President pardons • Unlike the US President, whose powers to grant pardons are almost unfettered, the President of India has to act on the advice of the Cabinet. • Under Article 72 of the Constitution, “the President shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence any person convicted of any offence where the sentence is a sentence of death”. • Under Article161, the Governor too has pardoning powers, but these do not extend to death sentences. • The President cannot exercise his power of pardon independent of the government. • Rashtrapati Bhawan forwards the mercy plea to the Home Ministry, seeking the Cabinet’s advice. • The Ministry in turn forwards this to the concerned state government; based on the reply, it formulates its advice on behalf of the Council of Ministers. • In several cases, the SC has ruled that the President has to act on the advice of the Council of Ministers while deciding mercy pleas. • These include Maru Ram vs Union of India in 1980, and Dhananjoy Chatterjee vs State of West Bengal in 1994. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 82 T.me/SleepyClasses • Although the President is bound by the Cabinet’s advice, Article 74(1) empowers him to return it for reconsideration once. • If the Council of Ministers decides against any change, the President has no option but to accept it. 118.One Nation, One Election • Context: again raised the pitch for “One Nation, One Election” and a single voter list for all polls in order to prevent the impact of the model code of conduct on development works every few months due to frequent spread-out polls. • Elections are held at different places every few months and it hampers the developmental work. • Only one voter list should be used for Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha and other elections so as to prevent wastage of time and money. • The push for “One nation, one election” came from Prime Minister initially in 2016. • The Law Commission submitted a draft report to the government on August 30, 2018, endorsing the proposal. • It even recommended changes to the Constitution and the electoral law so as to enable holding simultaneous polls.

What are simultaneous polls? • Currently, elections to the state assemblies and the Lok Sabha are held separately — that is whenever the incumbent government’s fve-year term ends or whenever it is dissolved due to various reasons. • This applies to both the state legislatures and the Lok Sabha. • The terms of Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha may not synchronise with one another. • For instance, Rajasthan faced elections in late 2018, whereas Tamil Nadu will go to elections only in 2021. • But the idea of “One Nation, One Election” envisages a system where elections to all states and the Lok Sabha will have to be held simultaneously. • This will involve the restructuring of the Indian election cycle in a manner that elections to the states and the centre synchronise. • This would mean that the voters will cast their vote for electing members of the LS and the state assemblies on a single day, at the same time (or in a phased manner as the case may be).

What is the background? • Simultaneous elections are not new to India. • They were the norm until 1967. Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 83 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • But following dissolution of some Legislative Assemblies in 1968 and 1969 and that of the Lok Sabha in December 1970, elections to State Assemblies and Parliament have been held separately. • The idea of reverting to simultaneous polls was mooted in the annual report of the Election Commission in 1983. • The Law Commission’s Report also referred to it in 1999. • The Niti Aayog prepared a working paper on the subject in January 2017. • In the working paper that the Law Commission brought out in April 2018, it said that at least “fve Constitutional recommendations” would be required to get this off the ground. • The fnal decision on holding simultaneous elections is yet to be taken. Why do some support? • Simultaneous polls will reduce enormous costs involved in separate elections. • The system will help ruling parties focus on governance instead of being constantly in election mode. • Simultaneous polls will boost voter turnout, according to the Law Commission. 119.Essential Services Maintenance Act • Context: The Uttar Pradesh government extended the Essential Services Maintenance Act in the state, banning strikes in all departments and corporations under it for a period of another six months. • The ESMA is a law made by the Parliament of India under List No. 33 in Concurrent List of 7th Schedule of Constitution of India. • Its execution rests entirely on the discretion of the State government. • Each state has a separate state Essential Services Maintenance Act with slight variations from the central law in its provisions. This freedom is accorded by the central law itself. • ESMA, gives police right to arrest without a warrant anybody violating the Act's provisions. • Under ESMA, employees in a long list of "essential services" like post and telegraph, railway, airport and port operations are prohibited from going on strike. • The Act mandates imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or fne which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both, to any person who instigates a strike which is illegal under this Act.

What are essential services? • Any service with respect to which the Parliament has power to make laws or the government feels that its discontinuation would affect the maintenance of supplies and services necessary for sustaining life is considered an essential service.

Which services fall under this category? • Services related to public conservancy, sanitation, water supply, hospitals or related with the defence of the country are considered essential.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 84 T.me/SleepyClasses • Any establishment dealing with production, supply or distribution of petroleum, coal, power, steel and fertilizers also falls under the essential services category. • Apart from this, any service in connection with banking can be subject to ESMA. Communication and transport services and any government undertaking related to the purchase and distribution of food grains are also subject to this act. • The employees can't even refuse to work overtime if their work is considered necessary for the maintenance of any of the essential services.

Is it illegal for these employees to go on strike? • A strike per se is not illegal, but the government is empowered to prohibit it if it feels that the strike is gravely disturbing public life. For that, the government has to issue a general or special order to end the strike. Any strike becomes illegal after the passing of this order.

What actions can be taken against the employees? • Persons who commence the strike as well as those who instigate it are liable to disciplinary action, which may include dismissal. • As the strike becomes illegal after ESMA is invoked, legal action can also be taken against these employees. • Any police offcer is empowered to arrest the striking persons without a warrant. • Persons participating in or instigating the strike are punishable with imprisonment, which may extend to one year or with fne or with both.

What is the Essential Commodity Act? • The Essential Commodity Act empowers the government to control production, supply and distribution of certain commodities. • The act is aimed at maintaining or increasing supplies and for securing the equitable distribution and fair price availability of these commodities. • The act is also intended to work against unethical trade practices like hoarding and black-marketing. 120.CCTVs in offces of CBI, ED, police stations • With the aim of preventing custodial torture, the Supreme Court ordered for installation of CCTV cameras in the offces of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other agencies, in addition to police stations across the country. • Extending the ambit of its 2018 order , SC has directed the central government to get CCTV cameras with audio-recording facility installed in the offces of CBI, ED, NIA, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Serious Fraud Investigation Offce (SFIO) and all such agencies, which have the power to make arrests and interrogate. • In 2018, the court had passed a judgment for bringing all police stations under the surveillance of the CCTV cameras to check human rights abuses.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 85 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • For this purpose, all states were required to constitute independent committees that could study CCTV camera footages and periodically publish reports of its observations. • Further, this judgment asked the Central government to a set up a Central Oversight Body (COB) and provide necessary funds so that it could issue necessary directions to states and union territories to facilitate videography of the crime scenes and compliance with other directions of the apex court. • The court order made SHO of each police station responsible for upkeep and maintenance of CCTV cameras. • The cameras need to be installed at all entry and exit points, main gate of the police station, all lock- ups, reception area, offcials’ rooms, and station hall. • The court has directed the states to make sure that good quality cameras with high resolution, night vision and a recording retention facility for at least a year are purchased and installed immediately in all police stations. • A State Level Oversight Committee, comprising secretary or additional secretary from home and fnance departments, director general of police or inspector general of police and a member of the state women’s commission, must also be constituted to make certain the court’s directions are duly complied with, besides taking care of budgetary allocations and supervision at the state level. • Similarly, District Level Oversight Committees, consisting of the district magistrate, a superintendent of police and a municipality mayor, will be set up in all districts to interact with the SHOs for upkeep of CCTVs and review the footage for any human right violation.

121.NRIs could soon be able to vote via post. • Context: The Election Commission (EC) approached the Law Ministry to permit NRIs to cast their votes from overseas through postal ballots. • The EC told the government it had received representations from the Indian diaspora about facilitating voting through postal votes since travelling to India only for this purpose is a “costly affair”. • The Commission informed the government that it is “technically and administratively ready” to extend the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) to voters abroad for elections next year in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

What is the current process of voting for Indian citizens living abroad? • An NRI can vote in the constituency in which her place of residence, as mentioned in the passport, is located. • She can only vote in person and will have to produce her passport in original at the polling station for establishing identity. • Voting rights for NRIs were introduced only in 2011, through an amendment to the Representation of the People Act 1950.

If approved, how will voting by postal ballots work for NRIs? • Any NRI interested in voting through the postal ballot in an election will have to inform the Returning Offcer (RO) not later than fve days after the notifcation of the election. • On receiving such information, the RO will dispatch the ballot paper electronically. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 86 T.me/SleepyClasses • The NRI voters will download the ballot paper, mark their preference on the printout and send it back along with a declaration attested by an offcer appointed by the diplomatic or consular representative of India in the country where the NRI is resident. • It’s not clear, if the voter will return the ballot paper herself through ordinary post or drop it off at the Indian Embassy, which may then segregate the envelopes constituency-wise and send them to the Chief Electoral Offcer of the state concerned for forwarding to the RO.

How and when did the proposal originate? • The EC began to look for options to enable NRIs to vote from overseas after it received several requests, and three writ petitions were fled by NRIs in the Supreme Court in 2013 and 2014. • A 12-member committee was set up after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections to study mainly three options — voting by post, voting at an Indian mission abroad and online voting. • The committee ruled out online polling as it felt this could compromise “secrecy of voting”. • It also shot down the proposal to vote at Indian missions abroad as they do not have adequate resources. • In 2015, the panel fnally recommended that NRIs should be given the “additional alternative options of e-postal ballot and proxy voting”, apart from voting in person. • Under proxy voting, a registered elector can delegate his voting power to a representative. The Law Ministry accepted the recommendation on proxy voting.

What happened to the proposal to grant proxy voting rights to overseas electors? • The Union Cabinet passed the proposal on proxy voting rights for NRIs in 2017. • The government then brought a Bill amending the Representation of the People Act 1950. • The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha and was awaiting Rajya Sabha’s approval when it lapsed with the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha. This proposal hasn’t been revived yet. • To extend the postal voting facility to overseas voters, the government only needs to amend the Conduct of Election Rules 1961. It doesn’t require Parliament’s nod.

122.Convicted Legislators cannot be barred for life from contesting polls • Context: The Central government has told the Supreme Court that it rejected the idea of barring convicted legislators for life from contesting elections, forming or becoming an offce-bearer of a political party. • The Union Ministry of Law and Justice said an elected representative of the people cannot be equated with public servants who are banned for a lifetime on conviction. • The government said disqualifcation under the Representation of the People Act of 1951 for the period of the prison sentence and six years thereafter was enough for legislators. • Election Commission has endorsed a life ban as necessary step towards decriminalization of politics.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 87 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • The case is based on a plea by Supreme Court advocate who argued that a life ban on conviction should uniformly apply for members of the judiciary, executive and the legislature. • There should not be any discrimination of one from the other. • He said an MP or MLA convicted for offences enumerated in Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act should be banned for life. • He argued that while a public servant or a government employee is debarred for life on conviction for offences under the Indian Penal Code, money laundering law, foreign exchange violation, UAPA or cheque cases, among other laws, a legislator is “only disqualifed for the same offences for a specifed period”. • Offences under IPC apply to them as much as any other person. • SC itself had said in a Constitution Bench decision in the Public Interest Foundation case of 2019 that though criminalisation of politics is a “bitter manifest truth”, which is a termite to the citadel of democracy, the court cannot make the law.

123.Hold fresh polls where NOTA got most votes • Context: An advocate has moved the Supreme Court for a direction that fresh elections should be held in a constituency where NOTA (‘None of the above’ option) garnered the maximum number of votes. Besides, none of the candidates who lost to NOTA should be allowed to contest the fresh polls. • If the electorate has rejected candidates by voting for NOTA, the parties should be barred from felding them again in the fresh polls. The parties should accept that the voters have already made their discontent loud and clear. • Arguments made:

✓ Right to reject and elect new candidate will give power to the people to express their discontent.

✓ Right to reject will check corruption, criminalisation, casteism, communalism

✓ Parties would be forced to give tickets to honest and patriotic candidates • The ‘right to reject’ was frst proposed by the Law Commission in 1999. • It also suggested that the candidates be declared elected only if they have obtained 50%+1 of the valid votes cast. • Similarly, the Election Commission endorsed ‘Right to Reject’, frst in 2001, and then in 2004 in its Proposed Electoral Reforms. • The ‘Background Paper on Electoral Reforms’, prepared by the Ministry of Law in 2010, had proposed that if certain percentage of the vote was negative, then election result should be nullifed and new election held, the petition said. • The use of NOTA in elections:

✓ The option of NOTA for Lok Sabha and assembly elections was prescribed by the SC in 2013.

✓ The option of NOTA in RS polls was introduced by the EC in 2014.

✓ India became the 14th country to institute negative voting. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 88 T.me/SleepyClasses • Various enterprises from India and the CLMV countries showcased their products and services in agriculture, agri-food processing, farm inputs, allied services, manufacturing, automobiles, textile, and machine tools, power and clean energy, infrastructure, transport logistics, healthcare pharmaceuticals, IT, skills and education and many others. • Important points for India:

✓ The Buddhist Circuit tourism through a more interconnected railway system

✓ The setting up of the Moreh Checkpost in Manipur.

✓ A Project Development Fund with the title PDF- CLMV Fund is to be set up with an initial amount of INR 500 Crores.

✓ The construction of the Trilateral Highway between India, Myanmar and Thailand at Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project for promotion of connectivity in the regions.

124.CLMV Conclave • Context: The Confederation of Indian Industry, CII in collaboration with the Union ministry of commerce and industry recently organised a virtual business conclave with Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam • CLMV countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam) act as key growth points for the ASEAN countries. • It provides the region with a wider market outreach that results in preferential or free trade agreements, FTAs, with many other large economies of the world. • The theme of the conclave was mainly focused on healthcare and pharma and the topics of the discussion deliberated by the expert speakers was on ‘Creating a safer and healthier future and available opportunities for new investments and cooperation in the health and pharma sectors in the region’. • It was held on CII HIVE which is the virtual platform of CII. How is a NOTA vote cast? • The EVMs have the NOTA option at the end of the candidates’ list. • Earlier, in order to cast a negative ballot, a voter had to inform the presiding offcer at the polling booth. • A NOTA vote doesn’t require the involvement of the presiding offcer. Why have NOTA if there’s ‘no electoral value’? • NOTA gives people dissatisfed with contesting candidates an opportunity to express their disapproval. • This, in turn, increases the chances of more people turning up to cast their votes, even if they do not support any candidate, and decreases the count of bogus votes. • Also, the Supreme Court has observed that negative voting could bring about “a systemic change in polls and political parties will be forced to project clean candidates”

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125.Sahyogini Matru Samitis (SMS) • Context: SahyoginiMatru Samitis (SMS) will have authority to monitor implementation of ICDS, fx accountability of service provider institutions at local level.

✓ The Department of Women and Child Development, Madhya Pradesh is set to create a decentralised structure under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, to give a legal backing to community-centric SahyoginiMatru Samiti (SMS) / maternal associate committees.

✓ There is an urgency of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to ensure that elected local body representatives monitor and improvise programmes related to nutrition and maternal entitlement.

✓ The supplementary nutrition programme under the ongoing ICDS provides entitlement to women and children under the NFSA, 2013.

✓ However, most states have not taken any note of this critical provision so far.

✓ They have been reticent in showing willingness to create legal structures as enshrined under the Act. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 90 T.me/SleepyClasses • It is in this backdrop that the Madhya Pradesh government has made a positive move: The December 2, 2020 order endowed the SMS with authority to monitor the implementation of ICDS and fx accountability of service provider institutions at the local level. • It also allowed for discharging all functions of the vigilant committee in compliance of the mandate rendered by the NFSA. • The NFSA, 2013, also asked for reforms in food and nutrition programmes, especially in the context of public accountability, transparency and vigilance systems. • The Act requires the concerned departments (linked with NFSA) to make efforts for creating systems for community monitoring and social audit of schemes. • Following this legal mandate, the state order sets out that SahyoginiMatru Samiti is authorised to function as vigilance committee and to conduct social audit of nutrition and maternity entitlement programmes. • The samiti will be formed at every anganwadicentre, whereas the NFSA talked about formation of vigilance committee at every public distribution system (PDS) shop. • The proposed structure of the SMS is designed in a manner that it addresses the three essential principles: Leading involvement of local governance institution, multi-social-sectoral convergence and overcoming geographical barriers. • The samiti will be headed by an elected representative of the local body, preferably by a woman representative. It will have nine additional members.

The classifcation • It includes any woman (above the age of 49 years), who is willing to serve voluntarily; a school teacher; a women member of another committee formed by any other department; chairperson of women self-help group; mothers of a child up to six years of age; mother of adolescent girls, woman from reproductive age group and member of family with pregnant woman with complication or severely malnourished child. • The nine members (of total 15) will represent the key entitlement holders. • The Madhya Pradesh guideline authorises SMS to monitor supply, distribution, quality of supplementary nutrition and create dialogue with the entitlement holders.

126.Maharashtra Police to use software to crack down on child porn • Context: The cyber wing of the Maharashtra Police recently acquired a software from Interpol that would help them track down child pornography uploaded online

✓ The Interpol has a software that uses various mechanisms like detecting nudity in images, recognising age of the person through facial structures, among other flters.

✓ It also has in-built algorithms to look for keywords around child pornography that would for example help law enforcement agencies track forums that indulge in these crimes.

✓ Based on these flters, the software ‘Crawler’ scans the net looking for such images, videos and text. Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 91 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses

✓ If they fnd any such media, it is added to the database after which offcers identify cases that could fall under child pornography.

Which states are being provided this software in India? • While initially the database was with Interpol, they have now also provided the software to Maharashtra. • Earlier this year, 12 offcers of Maharashtra cyber were trained by the Interpol offcers in the use of this software after which they were provided access to it. • Kerala too was to undergo training by Interpol last year after several such media was found to be uploaded from there.

What is the TRACE team set up by Maharashtra Cyber to counter child pornography? • The 12 offcers who went for training to the South Asian wing of Interpol form the core of Tactical Response Against Cyber Child Exploitation (TRACE) Unit. • Those 12 offcers trained a batch of 270 policemen across the state in the use of the software to track cases of child pornography. • The TRACE unit was primarily set up to act against child pornography in Maharashtra that is part of a larger campaign against Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) across the country since 2019.

Why has there been a boost in action against CSAM in India since 2019? • India’s fght against Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) received a boost in 2019 when National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a US-based nonproft that works to prevent child exploitation, started sharing tip-offs about child pornography in India with Indian agencies. • These tip offs were received by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) which then passed it on to the states where the child pornography related incident had taken place. • A total of 25,000 cases of child pornography being uploaded were reported in the fve months between September 2019 and January 2020 across the country. • While Delhi topped the list when it comes to people suspected to be involved in uploading child-porn, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are the other top states as per the data.

What is ‘Operation Blackface’ carried out in Maharashtra? • ‘Operation Blackface’ is part of the larger action taken against CSAM across the country. • Acting on the tip off provided by NCRB, Maharashtra Cyber cops started forwarding complaints to the districts where FIR’s were registered against accused persons. • In the current year alone, there have been above 100 FIR’s registered in cases linked to CSAM and nearly 50 persons placed under arrest.

127.Karnataka Assembly passes anti-cow slaughter Bill • Context: Karnataka passed the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill (2020) .The Bill envisages a ban on all forms of cattle slaughter and stringent punishment for offenders. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 92 T.me/SleepyClasses

✓ The Bill is not completely new by itself. It is a revised version of a law passed in 2010.

✓ It was shelved in 2013 after the Bill failed to get the Governor’s assent.

✓ The Govt then reverted to Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Preservation of Animals Act, 1964, that allowed cow slaughter with certain restrictions.

✓ The 1964 law allowed the slaughter of bullock, buffalo-male or female if it was certifed by a competent authority to be above the age of 12 years, incapacitated for breeding or deemed sick.

How is ‘beef’ and ‘cattle’ defned in the latest Karnataka Bill? • While ‘beef’ is defned as the fesh of cattle in any form, the word ‘cattle’ is defned as “cow, calf of a cow and bull, bullock, and he or she buffalo below the age of thirteen years”. • The Bill also terms shelters established for the protection and preservation of cattle registered with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries as ‘gau-shalas’.

Who has the power to conduct searches? • Police offcers ranked sub-inspector and above or a competent authority will have the power to search premises and seize cattle and materials used or intended to use to commit the offence. • Such seizures, if any, will then be reported before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate. What are the penalties? • Terming cow slaughter as a cognizable offence, violators can attract three to seven years of imprisonment. • While a penalty between Rs 50,000 and Rs 5 lakh can be levied for the frst offence, second and subsequent offences can attract penalties ranging between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 10 lakh.

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128.Shakti Act, 2020 • The Maharashtra government presented a draft bill making changes to existing laws on violence against women and children. The Bill, proposed to be enacted as Shakti Act, 2020.

What is the reason given by Maharashtra to bring in a new law? • The main reason given by the government for bringing in the new law is an increase in the number of cases of violence, specifcally sexual violence against women and children. • In order to effectively control the heinous sexual offences against women and children, it is necessary to complete the investigation and the trial of these cases within a time frame, which may deter the perpetrators from committing such offences. Stringent punishment, including heavy fnes and death penalty, needs to be prescribed.

Which laws are proposed to be amended? • The draft Bill proposes to make changes to the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The changes are proposed in existing sections of rape, sexual harassment, acid attack and child sexual abuse.

✓ The Bill proposes death penalty in cases of rape, gangrape, rape by persons in authority, aggravated sexual assault of minors and in cases of acid attack when grievous injury is caused.

✓ The Bill also proposes to add a heavy fne amount of up to Rs 10 lakh on those found guilty.

✓ The existing law had provisions for a fne but did not specify the amount in most sections. In cases of acid attacks, where grievous injury is caused to a victim, a fne of up to Rs 10 lakh is proposed to be paid to the victim for treatment including plastic surgery and reconstruction.

✓ The Bill also proposes amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code, directing for an investigation in these cases to be completed within 15 days after an FIR is fled, extendable only by seven days. • The Bill also states that a trial has to be completed within 30 days after the charge sheet is fled against an accused. An appeal fled before a higher court is proposed to be disposed of within 45 days. • The Bill proposes setting up exclusive courts for this purpose. While such provisions for speedy disposal of cases and setting of special courts are also present in the POCSO Act, the disproportionate ratio between cases fled and the existing infrastructure including in forensics, judiciary leads to higher pendency.

Are there any specifc provisions related to social media? • The draft Bill proposes an additional law to deal with abuse of women on social media. Section 354E is added to include intentional acts creating “a sense of danger, intimidation, fear to a woman” apart from insulting her modesty by any act, deed or words including offensive communication will be an offence with a maximum punishment of two years and a Rs 1 lakh fne. • This also includes uploading morphed videos of women or threatening them with uploading of photos, videos which could defame, cause disrepute to them or violate their privacy.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 94 T.me/SleepyClasses • The Bill also makes it mandatory for Internet, telephone providers and social media platforms to share electronic records, data for probes in cases of sexual violence against women and children within seven days or a punishment of simple imprisonment for one month and fne up to Rs 5 lakh can be imposed.

Provisions for “false” information and “implied consent” • The Bill also makes provision for making a “false complaint” or provides false information in respect of offence committed stating that anyone who does that “solely with the intention to humiliate, extort or threaten or defame or harass” a person shall face imprisonment for a term up to one year or fne or both.

Other provisions • The Bill also proposes setting up of a “Women and Children Offenders Registry” linked to the National Registry of Sexual Offenders and will be made available to law enforcement agencies with details of persons convicted of specifed offences of sexual violence against women and children. A separate police team will also be set up in each district to probe such cases. • The Bill also states that the government will set up institutions like the One Stop Centre for providing victims rehabilitation, legal aid, counselling, medical support. Many of these are already proposed under various schemes like Manodhairya in the state.

129.France’s draft law against ‘Islamism’ • Context: French cabinet presented a draft law called a law “to reinforce Republican principles. The Bill comes in the wake of a series of terror attacks in recent years.

What does the proposed law aim to do? • It envisages a range of measures, including school education reforms to ensure Muslim children do not drop out, stricter controls on mosques and preachers, and rules against hate campaigns online. • Once the law comes into force, French mosques could see increased surveillance of their activities, such as fnancing. • The government would be able to exercise supervision over the training of imams, and have greater powers to shut down places of worship receiving public subsidies if they go against “republican principles” such as gender equality. • Moderate community leaders targeted by an extremist “putsch” could receive protection. • Under French secularism laws, or laïcité, there is already a ban on state employees displaying religious symbols that are “conspicuous”, such as the crucifx or hijab. • This ban would now be extended beyond government bodies to any sub-contracted public service. • There would also be a clampdown on home-schooling for children over age three, with parents from to be dissuaded from enrolling them in underground Islamic structures. • Doctors who issue “virginity certifcates” would be fned or jailed. • Offcials would be banned from granting residency permits to polygamous applicants. • Couples would be interviewed separately by city hall offcials prior to their wedding to fnd out if they have been forced into marriage. Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 95 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Stricter punishments would be introduced for online hate speech. What has been the reaction? • The sharpest criticism of the Bill has come from abroad. • Turkey has called the proposed law an “open provocation”. • Critics have expressed alarm that the Bill could lead to the confation of the Islamic religion with Islamism, a political movement, and lead to the alienation of French Muslims.

130.Three Capitals Of Andhra Pradesh • Context: Opposition Party in Andhra Pradesh challenged the state government to conduct a referendum on the three capitals for the state plan. • In January 2020, The Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Equal Development of All Regions Bill, 2020, was passed paving the way for three capitals for the state. • - legislative capital, - executive capital and the judicial capital. • Opposition is in favor of only Amravati as a single capital. • Government argued it is against building one mega capital while neglecting other parts of the state. • Historically recommended: According to the government, decentralisation was the central theme in recommendations of all major committees that were set up to suggest a suitable location for the capital of Andhra Pradesh. • It had been agreed in the November 16, 1937 Sri Bagh Pact (between leaders of and ) that two university centres should be established in Waltair (Visakhapatnam) and in Rayalaseema, and that the High Court and Metropolis should be in the coastal districts and Rayalaseema respectively. • In December 2010, the Justice B N Srikrishna Committee, set up to look into the demand for a Telangana state, said Rayalaseema and North Coastal Andhra were economically the most backward, and the “concentration of development efforts in Hyderabad is the key reason for demand of separate states”. • In August 2014, the K Sivaramakrishnan Committee appointed to identify locations for the new capital of AP said the state should see decentralised development, and that one mega capital city was not desirable. • G N Rao Committee: A Committee under former IAS offcer G N Rao, in its December 2019 report, recommended three capitals for balanced growth, and four regional commission rates along the lines of Karnataka.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 96 T.me/SleepyClasses • BCG recommendation: The government sought an opinion from the global management consulting frm Boston Consultancy Group, which on January 3, 2020, recommended that Visakhapatnam should be the seat of the Governor, Chief Minister, and all government departments, and a High Court Bench, and have provisions for a Legislative Assembly for use in an emergency; / Amaravati should have the Assembly and a High Court Bench; Kurnool should have the High Court and tribunals. • High-powered Committee: A high-power Committee appointed by the government to study the recommendations of the G N Rao Committee and the BCG suggested that the state should be demarcated into zones with separate zonal planning and development boards in order to ensure inclusive development, and that infrastructure projects focused Rayalaseema and North Coastal Andhra should be prioritised.

Major practical problems • The government argues that the Assembly meets only after gaps of several months, and government Ministers, offcers, and staff can simply go to Amaravati when required. • However, coordinating between seats of legislature and executive in separate cities will be easier said than done, and with the government offering no specifcs of a plan, offcers and common people alike fear a logistics nightmare. • The distances in Andhra Pradesh are not inconsiderable. • Executive capital Visakhapatnam is 700 km from judicial capital Kurnool, and 400 km from legislative capital Amaravati. The Amaravati-Kurnool distance is 370 km. The time and costs of travel will be signifcant. • The AP Police are headquartered in Mangalagiri, 14 km from Vijayawada, 400 km to Visakhapatnam. • Kurnool, also does not have an airport. 131.Criticism of Maharashtra Shakti Bill, 2020 • Context: The Maharashtra Shakti Bill, 2020, and The Special Court and Machinery for Implementation of Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, 2020 — that enhance punishment for violence against women and children, and include the death penalty for some offences, which were recently passed have been criticised by prominent women’s rights advocates for being “draconian” and “anti- women”.

Who are the individuals and groups opposing the two Bills? • Women and child rights groups, lawyers, activists, academics and LGBTQ+ rights activists. What are their objections? • It is argued that the two Bills — framed on the lines of The Andhra Pradesh Disha Act, 2019 — should have been discussed with lawyers, activists, and academics working on women’s issues before they were passed by the state Cabinet. • An amendment has been proposed to Section 375 (rape) of the IPC, to add an “explanation” that says that in cases where parties are adults and their conduct suggest there was “consent or implied consent”, a presumption of consent will be made. • This, the activists say, “feeds into the patriarchal construct of consent and conduct of women”. Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 97 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses

• Consensual sexual intercourse is very often used as defence by accused in cases of rape — and with such an explanation inserted into the law, proving rape will be impossible. • Section 12 of The Special Courts and Machinery for the Implementation of Shakti Act, 2020, will punish the fling of false complaints. • This perpetuates the patriarchal notions of viewing women with suspicion, as unworthy of being believed” — and will deter victims from reporting sexual offences. • It is being argued that existing laws cover offences like intimidation of women through electronic media or punishment for public servants who fail to assist investigation. But these, are nugatory, and effective only in making a political statement. • The reason for opposition to speedy delivery of justice — 15 days for investigation and one month for trial is being made as it is felt this time-frame will not be suffcient for gathering all evidence — and will become an excuse for police to not conduct a proper investigation. • Also, a hurried investigation and trial, is likely to lead to miscarriage of justice. • Neither the police nor the Courts have the infrastructure to comply with these time frames and the same will only result in unfair trials and more acquittals.

132.New Tribunal for Krishna Water Sharing Between Andhra, Telangana • Context: Centre is considering setting up a new tribunal to decide the sharing of Krishna river water between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. • Alternatively, the Centre will refer the matter to the existing second Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-II), after obtaining legal opinion. • The KWDT-II, headed by Justice Brijesh Kumar, in its judgment on December 30, 2010, allocated a total share of 1,001 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) to Andhra Pradesh, 911 tmc ft to Karnataka and 666 tmc ft to Maharashtra in Krishna river water. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 98 T.me/SleepyClasses • However, after the bifurcation of the combined state of Andhra Pradesh in June 2014, Telangana has been demanding revised allocation of Krishna water to the two Telugu states since they were separated. • The Centre referred the matter to KWDT-II again under Section 89 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, asking for project-wise allocation of the Krishna water, but the tribunal did not take it up, on the ground that its terms of reference did not permit the same. • Telangana chief minister in his letter to the Centre on October 2 this year requested that the matter be referred to a new tribunal or again to KWDT-II under Inter-State River Water Disputes Act of 1956 so that fresh allocations are made to the two states. • The publication of KWDT-II award given in 2010 was stayed by the Supreme Court in 2011 based on a petition by fled the then combined Andhra Pradesh government and after bifurcation of the state, Telangana, too, impleaded in it. • Telangana had gone to Supreme Court in 2015 seeking setting up of a new tribunal or re-mandate KWDT-II under Section-3 of the ISRWD-1956 for reallocation of water between the two Telugu states. • This matter is still pending in SC and so, the matter being sub-Judice, the Centre can act only after hearing from SC. • But now, Telangana has agreed to withdraw its petition in the SC and therefore, the Centre will consider establishment of a new tribunal or alternatively refer the matter to the KWDT-II, after obtaining legal opinion. • On the complaint lodged by the Telangana government over the alleged unauthorised expansion of Pothireddypadu Head Regulator project and construction of Rayalaseema lift irrigation scheme on Krishna river in the backwaters of Srisailam reservoir by Andhra Pradesh government, center has said any new project on the river would not be allowed. • Andhra government has been directed not to go ahead with the Pothireddypadu or Rayalaseema lift projects until they were technically appraised and cleared by Central Water Commission and sanctioned by the apex council. • The expansion of Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme on Godavari river by the Telangana government seeking to draw another three tmc ft water per day from the river was also unauthorised and should not be taken up. • As per the agreement at the apex council meeting held on October 6, both the states should submit detailed project reports (DPRs) of new projects to the respective boards on Krishna and Godavari rivers immediately for appraisal and subsequent sanction by the apex council.

What is the Krishna river dispute, and what has been done to resolve it? • The Krishna is an east-fowing river that originates at Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra and merges with the Bay of Bengal, fowing through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. • Together with its tributaries, it forms a vast basin that covers 33% of the total area of the four states. • A dispute over the sharing of Krishna waters has been ongoing for many decades, beginning with the erstwhile Hyderabad and Mysore states, and later continuing between successors Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 99 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • In 1969, the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT) was set up under the Inter-State River Water Dispute Act, 1956, and presented its report in 1973. • The report, which was published in 1976, divided the 2060 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of Krishna water at 75 per cent dependability into three parts: 560 TMC for Maharashtra, 700 TMC for Karnataka and 800 TMC for Andhra Pradesh. • At the same time, it was stipulated that the KWDT order may be reviewed or revised by a competent authority or tribunal any time after May 31, 2000. • Afterward, as new grievances arose between the states, the second KWDT was instituted in 2004. • It delivered its report in 2010, which made allocations of the Krishna water at 65 per cent dependability and for surplus fows as follows: 81 TMC for Maharashtra, 177 TMC for Karnataka, and 190 TMC for Andhra Pradesh.

After the KWDT’s 2010 report • Soon after the 2010 report was presented, Andhra Pradesh challenged it through a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court in 2011. • In an order in the same year, the apex court stopped the Centre from publishing it in the offcial Gazette. • In 2013, the KWDT issued a ‘further report’, which was again challenged by Andhra Pradesh in the Supreme Court in 2014. • After the creation of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh in 2014, the Water Resources Ministry has been extending the duration of the KWDT. • Andhra Pradesh has since asked that Telangana be included as a separate party at the KWDT and that the allocation of Krishna waters be reworked among four states, instead of three. • It is relying on Section 89 of The Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act, 2014, which reads: • “89. The term of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal shall be extended with the following terms of reference, namely:

✓ shall make project-wise specifc allocation, if such allocation has not been made by a Tribunal constituted under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956;

✓ shall determine an operational protocol for project-wise release of water in the event of defcit fows. • For the purposes of this section, it is clarifed that the project-specifc awards already made by the Tribunal on or before the appointed day shall be binding on the successor States. • Maharashtra and Karnataka are now resisting this move. • On September 3, the two states said: “Telangana was created following bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Therefore, allocation of water should be from Andhra Pradesh’s share which was approved by the tribunal.

133.World Bank approves four India projects www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 100 T.me/SleepyClasses • Context: The projects that have been approved are: Chhattisgarh Inclusive Rural and Accelerated Agriculture Growth Project (CHIRAAG); Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources Project; and Second Dam Improvement and Rehabilitation Project (DRIP-2). • The projects support a range of development initiatives – strengthening India's social protection architecture, promoting nutrition-supportive agriculture for tribal households in Chhattisgarh, enhancing quality education in Nagaland and improving the safety and performance of existing dams across various states in India. • The US $400 million Second Accelerating India's COVID-19 Social Protection Response Programme project will support India's efforts at providing social assistance to the poor and vulnerable households, severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. • This is the second operation in a programmatic series of two. • The frst operation of US $750 million was approved in May 2020. • It enabled immediate cash transfers to about 320 million individual bank accounts identifed through pre-existing national social protection schemes under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) and additional food rations for about 800 million individuals. • The second operation will complement the expansion of India's safety net programmes to create a portable social protection platform ensuring food and cash support for poor households, urban migrants, and unorganised sector workers across state boundaries • The US $250 million Second Dam Improvement and Rehabilitation Project (DRIP-2) will improve the safety and performance of existing dams across various states of India and will strengthen dam safety by building dam safety guidelines; bring in global experience; and introduce newer technologies. • Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources Project (US $68 million) will improve classroom instruction; create opportunities for the professional development of teachers; and build technology systems to provide students and teachers with more access to blended and online learning as well as allow better monitoring of policies and programs. • CHIRAAG project will develop sustainable production systems that allow tribal households in remote areas of Chhattisgarh to practice round-the-year production of diversifed and nutritious food. • It will be implemented in the southern tribal-majority region of the state where a large population is undernourished and poor. • The project will beneft over 180,000 households from about 1,000 villages in eight districts of Chhattisgarh, it added.

134.Morocco-Israel deal • Context: Morocco has become the fourth Arab country to normalise ties with Israel in fve months. • US announced a series of normalisation agreements between Arab countries (the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and now Morocco) and Israel bringing peace to West Asia. • In return for Morocco’s decision to establish formal ties with Israel, the U.S. has recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, a disputed territory in northwestern Africa, which has been under Moroccan control for decades.

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• Morocco has long been campaigning internationally, using economic pressure and diplomacy, for recognition of its claims to Western Sahara.

What is the dispute? • This large, arid and sparsely populated region that shares a border with Morocco, Algeria and Mauritania and has a long Atlantic coast was a Spanish colony. • The region is home to the Sahrawi tribe. • In the 1970s, when international and local pressure mounted on Spain to vacate its colonies in Africa, Libya and Algeria helped found a Sahrawi insurgency group against the Spanish rule in Western Sahara. • The Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro, known as the Polisario Front, started guerilla warfare against Spanish colonialists. • In 1975, as part of the Madrid Accords with Morocco and Mauritania, Spain decided to leave the region, which was then called Spanish Sahara. • According to the accords, Spain would exit the territory before February 28, 1976 and until then, the Spanish Governor General would administer the territory, with help from two Moroccan and Mauritanian Deputy Governors. • The Polisario Front and Algeria opposed the agreements. • Both Morocco and Mauritania moved troops to Western Sahara to assert their claims. • Polisario, backed by Algeria, continued the guerilla resistance, demanding their withdrawal. • On February 27, 1976, a day before Spain ended its presence, the Polisario Front declared the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in Western Sahara. • The SADR has been recognised by several African countries and is a member of the African Union. What is Morocco’s claim? • Morocco and Mauritania had laid claims to Western Sahara even when it was a Spanish colony. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 102 T.me/SleepyClasses

• In 1974, the International Court of Justice was asked by the U.N. General Assembly to look into the legal ties, if any, that existed between Western Sahara and Morocco and Mauritania at the time of its colonisation by Spain in the 19th century. • The court found no evidence “of any ties of territorial sovereignty” between the Western Sahara and either Morocco or Mauritania, but stated that there were “indications” that some tribes in the territory were loyal to the Moroccan Sultan. • In its conclusion, the court endorsed the General Assembly Resolution 1541 that affrmed that to ensure decolonisation, complete compliance with the principle of self-determination is required. • But King Hassan II of Morocco hailed the court’s opinion as a vindication of Rabat’s claims and moved troops across the northern border to Western Sahara. • Mauritania joined in later. • It set the stage for a three-way fght with the Polisario Front resisting both countries. What’s the current status of the confict? • The three-way confict lasted for almost four years. • In August 1979, Mauritania signed a peace treaty with Polisario, bringing the country’s military involvement in Western Sahara to an end.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 103 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • When Mauritanian forces withdrew from the southern part of the desert that they had occupied, Morocco swiftly advanced troops. • The war continued between Moroccan troops and the Polisario Front. • In 1991, when a ceasefre was fnally achieved, upon the promise of holding an independence referendum in Western Sahara, Morocco had taken control of about 80% of the territory. • The war had forced almost 200,000 Sahrawis to fee the territory to neighbouring Algeria, where Polisario is running squalid refugee camps. • The SADR is operating largely from the eastern fank of Western Sahara and the refugee camps. • Moroccan troops have built a huge sand wall called Berm, from the Atlantic coast of Western Sahara to the mountains of Morocco, dividing the territories they control from that of Polisario. • “It’s Africa’s last colony”, according to Polisario fghters. What impact will the Israel deal have on the confict? • The normalisation deal between Morocco and Israel itself will not have any direct bearing on Western Sahara. • But the concession the U.S. has given to Morocco — Washington’s recognition of Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara in return for Rabat’s agreement with Israel — could fare up the confict. • The independence referendum, promised in the 1991 ceasefre, is yet to take place. • Last month, Morocco launched an offensive into the U.N.-controlled buffer zone between the two sides and in return, Polisario said it would resume armed confict. • After the US’ recognition of Morocco’s claim, Polisario said it would continue fghting until Moroccan troops are forced to withdraw. • The U.S. move would upset Algeria, the biggest backer of Polisario. • Among the countries that condemned the U.S. decision is Russia, which said the recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara “is a violation of international law”.

135.Multilingual Call Centre For Aqua Farmers • Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has launched a multilingual call centre for aqua farmers at Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh • It will address their technical issues and impart knowledge about effcient farming methods by domain experts round the clock. • India produced 7, 47,111 tonnes of shrimps last year, of which more than 6% had come from Andhra Pradesh alone from its over 52,000 shrimp farms covering a water spread area of 75,000 Ha. • The call centre would help the farmers in Andhra Pradesh to seek advice by experienced experts for addressing their concerns and following Best Management Practices (BMPs) to boost production and ensure quality of the produce.

Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 104 T.me/SleepyClasses • The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) was set up by an act of Parliament during 1972. • The erstwhile Marine Products Export Promotion Council established by the Government of India in September 1961 was converged in to MPEDA on 24th August 1972. • MPEDA is given the mandate to promote the marine products industry with special reference to exports from the country. • The Act empowers MPEDA to regulate exports of marine products and take all measures required for ensuring sustained, quality seafood exports from the country. • MPEDA is given the authority to prescribe for itself any matters which the future might require for protecting and augmenting the seafood exports from the country. • It is also empowered to carry out inspection of marine products, its raw material, fxing standards, specifcations, and training as well as take all necessary steps for marketing the seafood overseas.

Major Functions of MPEDA • Registration of infrastructural facilities for seafood export trade. • Collection and dissemination of trade information. • Promotion of Indian marine products in overseas markets. • Implementation of schemes vital to the industry by extending assistance for infrastructure development for better preservation and modernized processing following quality regime. • Promotion of aquaculture for augmenting export production through hatchery development, new farm development, diversifcation of species and up gradation of technology • Promotion of deep-sea fshing projects through test fshing, joint ventures and up gradation & installation of equipments to increase the effciency of fshing. • Market promotional activities and publicity. 136.CIC Reverses Own Order On Electoral Bonds • The Central Information Commission (CIC) had in January 2020 directed the government to reveal the names of electoral bond scheme donors who wanted their identities to remain confdential. • In a reversal of that order, it has now ruled that the disclosure of identity of such donors will not serve any larger public interest and will, in fact, violate provisions of the Act • It was in regard with dismissal of an appeal by a Maharashtra-based activist against State Bank of India’s refusal to share the information. • The RTI applicant, had sought the information in this regard from SBI’s CPIO in June, 2018, and appealed to the bank’s First Appellate Authority (FAA) after being dissatisfed by the reply. • However, the FAA also ruled that the “information related to electoral bonds issued to political parties was held by the SBI in fduciary capacity” and that the names of the donors could not be disclosed as these fell in the bracket of ‘third party information’. • After he fled a second appeal with the CIC, as provided by the RTI Act,

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✓ the CIC upheld the SBI’s stand, holding that “disclosure of names of donors and the donees may be in contravention of provisions contained in section 8 (1) (e) ( j ) of the RTI Act itself, which exempt a public authority to give a citizen information available to a person in his fduciary relationship, unless the competent authority is satisfed that the larger public interest warrant the disclosure of such information. • The electoral bond scheme allows citizens and corporates to buy monetary instruments from SBI and donate them to political parties, who can redeem them for money. • Citizen groups have long been arguing that in the interest of transparency, the identity of such donors must be disclosed. • The Central Information Commission has been constituted under the Right to Information Act, 2005. • The jurisdiction of the Commission extends over all Central Public Authorities. • The Commission has certain powers and functions mentioned in sections 18, 19, 20 and 25 of the RTI Act, 2005. • These broadly relate to adjudication in second appeal for giving information; direction for record keeping, suo motu disclosures receiving and enquiring into a complaint on inability to fle RTI etc; imposition of penalties and Monitoring and Reporting including preparation of an Annual Report. • The decisions of the Commission are fnal and binding.

137.Provisions Regarding Advisory Board For Wages Code • The Central Information Commission has been constituted under the Right to Information Act, 2005. • The jurisdiction of the Commission extends over all Central Public Authorities. • The Commission has certain powers and functions mentioned in sections 18, 19, 20 and 25 of the RTI Act, 2005.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 106 T.me/SleepyClasses • These broadly relate to adjudication in second appeal for giving information; direction for record keeping, suo motu disclosures receiving and enquiring into a complaint on inability to fle RTI etc; imposition of penalties and Monitoring and Reporting including preparation of an Annual Report. • The decisions of the Commission are fnal and binding. • It will consist of persons to be nominated by the Central government representing employers and employees, independent persons, and fve representatives of such State governments as may be nominated by the Central government. • Here, one-third of the members will be women and a member will be appointed by the Central government as the chairperson of the board.

Board’s duties • The Central Advisory Board will, from time to time, advise the Centre on issues relating to the fxation or revision of minimum wages and other related matters. • It will suggest ways to increase employment opportunities for women, and the extent to which women may be employed in such establishments or employments as the Central government may, by notifcation. • The law says the Central Advisory Board will regulate its own procedures including those of the committees and sub-committees. • Sub-sections of Section 67 deal with rules and regulations and terms of the members of the board. • Section 69 of the Code says the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 are being repealed. • In July, the Centre release the draft of rules for the Code. • One of the key provisions talks about the fxing of minimum wages. • According to the draft, for calculating the minimum rate of wages on a day basis, six criteria can be used:

✓ standard family of four (self, spouse and two children)

✓ net intake of 2,700 calories per day per consumption unit,

✓ 66 metres cloth per year per standard working-class family

✓ housing rent expenditure to constitute 10 per cent of food and clothing expenditure

✓ fuel

✓ electricity • Other miscellaneous items of expenditure to constitute 20 per cent of minimum wage, and expenditure for children’s education, medical requirement, recreation and expenditure on contingencies to constitute 25 per cent of minimum wage.

Draft rule proposals • The draft proposed to divide geographical areas into three categories: metropolitan, non- metropolitan and rural.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 107 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • There is a proposal to form a technical committee to suggest, modify, add or delete particular occupations in the tentative list of four categories: unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled. • The draft included 123 occupations under unskilled category comprising loader/unloader, wood cutter, offce boy, cleaner, gate man, sweeper, attendants, beldar etc. • The semi-skilled category has 127 types of occupation which include butler/cook, khalasi,, masalchi, dhobi and jamadar. • The skilled category has 320 types of occupations including munshi, typist, book keeper, librarian, Hindi translator and data entry operator. • The highly skilled category has 111 types of occupations, including armed security guards, head mechanics, compounder and blacksmith.

138.Jharkhand Launches Cyber Crime Prevention Scheme • Context: Aiming to “protect women” from growing cybercrimes, Jharkhand government announced the launch of Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children Scheme (CCPWC) in the state. • It aims to start online cyber crime registration, capacity building, awareness creation and research and development units. • It is emphasized on police ‘modernization’ and the offcers to make a robust system to tackle growing cybercrime. • In the last fve years, 4803 cyber crimes have surfaced in Jharkhand, out of which 1536 cases have been disposed. • It was also decided in the meeting that students from the various schools statewide should be trained for ‘community policing’. • There are 36,000 sanctioned posts of Home Guards in Jharkhand, out of which 19000 are paid on daily basis based on their work. • However, all don’t get the work on a daily basis. • It was decided that the government offces should explore the possibility of giving them jobs as security guards. • The state is also planning to get trained sniffer dogs for crime prevention. 139.Bangladesh wants to join Trilateral Highway • Context: For enhancing connectivity between South and South East Asia, Bangladesh has expressed interest to join the ongoing India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway project. • In the same spirit, India has requested the neighbouring country to allow connectivity from West Bengal (Hilli) to Meghalaya (Mahendraganj) via Bangladesh. • Since India has been working towards increasing its engagements with South East Asia under its `Act East Policy’ the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the region.

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• This highway is expected to help greatly in the transport connectivity – 1,360 km long cross border highway network and is currently under construction, expected to be completed by 2021. • It will be linking Moreh(India) - Bagan(Myanmar) - Mae Sot(Thailand) • India has agreed to help build two vital road sections — Kalewa-Yagyi of 120 km, and 69 bridges on the Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa (TKK). • From Indian side the work is going on since 2017 and is expected to be completed by 2021. • The decision to extend the Trilateral Highway to Lao PDR and Cambodia to help deepen the India- ASEAN Relations was taken at the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit 2012. • To commemorate the historic signifcance of the road from Mujib Nagar to Nodia on Bangladesh-India border during the Liberation War, Bangladesh has proposed to name it as “Shadhinota Shorok”. • India has also requested for one Land Port, beginning with Agartala-Akhaura and for transportation of goods from Chattogram port to the North East of India, it has proposed that its trucks use the Feni Bridge, on completion. • It has been decided that the recently-constituted High Level Monitoring Committee headed by Secretary, Economic Relations Division from Bangladesh and the High Commissioner of India in Dhaka will regularly review the progress of the LOC Projects for their early completion.

140. Assam’s Bill to Abolish State-Run Madrassas • Context: The Assam government, tabled a bill to abolish all state-run madrassas and convert those into general schools with effect from April 1, 2021.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 109 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • The bill proposes to abolish two ex i s t i n g a c t s – T h e A s s a m M a d r a s s a E d u c a t i o n (Provincialisation) Act, 1995, and The Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialisation of Services of Employees and Re-Organisation of Madrassa Educational Institutions) Act, 2018. • All madrassa institutes will be converted into upper primary, high, and higher secondary schools with n o c h a n g e o f s t a t u s , p a y, allowances and service conditions of the teaching and non-teaching staff. • Madrasa education in Assam, which has over 600 such state-run institutes, was introduced in 1915. • The government annually spends Rs 260 crore on the state-run madrasas and the Sanskrit “tols” (Sanskrit-learning centres). • Assam has 189 high madrassas. Apart from the conventional subjects such as mathematics, science, English, etc, they have a subject on theology which carries 50 marks. • The government decided to drop this subject and remove the word “madrasa” from the institutes. • The government is also converting 97 state-run Sanskrit “tols” into study centres of Indian history and ancient Indian culture.

141.Madhya Pradesh Conversion Law • Context: The Madhya Pradesh cabinet approved a proposed law to regulate interfaith marriages in the state that provides for up to 10 years in jail for “forcing women, minors, and people from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to undergo religious conversion” with a special clause on no punitive action against those returning to their ancestral religion. • The proposed law called the Madhya Pradesh Dharmik Swatantrata (Freedom of Religion) Bill, 2020 says “Paitrik Dharm me Wapsi” (return to the father’s religion) will not be treated as conversion. • Under this legislation, the re-conversion to the ancestral religion will not be treated as conversion • Ancestral religion is defned as the religion of the father of the person at the time of his birth. • Re-conversion will not be a punishable offence under this law because it is more a realisation of a mistake than a crime. • The proposed legislation will replace the 1968 Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, and is different from the Uttar Pradesh government’s legislation promulgated through an ordinance on November 25. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 110 T.me/SleepyClasses • Unlike the MP law, the UP ordinance does not provide for parental property rights to children of an interfaith marriage, monthly maintenance and a Rs50,000 fne for an inter-religion union without permission of the district magistrate. • In UP, the fne amount is Rs25,000. • The jail terms in the two laws are equal. • The bill seeks to prohibit religious conversions or an attempt of conversion by means of misrepresentation, allurement, threat, undue infuence, coercion, marriage, and any other fraudulent means. • Such a conspiracy and abetting a person for conversion has also been prohibited. • According to a draft of the bill approved, The forced conversion of a woman, minor, scheduled caste and scheduled tribe will attract 2-10 years imprisonment and a minimum fne of Rs50,000. • Mass forced conversion will attract 5-10 years of jail term and fne of up to Rs1 lakh. Burden of proof will lie on the accused. • The forceful conversions and marriages will be a cognisable offence and non-bailable. • There will be a provision for declaring interfaith forceful marriages and forced conversion null and void. • The person and religious gurus have to inform the district magistrate at least 60 days prior to the scheduled date of marriage. • The violation of this rule will attract 3-5 years of jail and a minimum fne of Rs50,000. • The bill doesn’t have any provision to deal with past cases of forced conversion and also there is no time limit of lodging a complaint with police after marriage. • Like the Dowry Prohibition Act, which has a time limit of lodging an FIR up to seven years of marriage. • States are opting for laws on freedom of religion for marriage (‘love jihad’). • The Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, was notifed by Uttar Pradesh last month. • Haryana and Karnataka announced intentions to enact such laws. • The law has come under sharp criticism for the concept of ‘love jihad’ which does not have any constitutional or legal basis. • Article 21 of the constitution guarantees individuals the right to marry a person of one’s choice. • Article 25 gives freedom of conscience, the practice and conversion of religion of one’s choice including not following any religion • Supreme Court of India in its several judgements has held that the state and the courts have no jurisdiction over an adult’s absolute right to choose a life partner.

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142.Election Commission to push for absentee vote, digi-ID, new service rules

• Context: Four items on the Election Commission’s agenda, which could go a long way in increasing the voter base and facilitate higher turnout during polls, will likely come up before the government in January. • Linkage of the Aadhaar number with voter ID, allowing voter registration as soon as a person turns 18 years, ensuring gender-neutral voting rights to service voters and launching of the digital voter ID for new voters have been on the to-do list of the EC for some time now. • While the frst three require amendments to the Representation to People’s Act, 1951, the fourth one — a digilocker-enabled version of the voter ID — is set to be launched on January 25 at a National Voter’s Day event. • All new voter cards issued from next month will be downloadable, like the e-Aadhar. • It is also expected that all or some of the required amendments to the RP Act may be brought in through the Budget session of Parliament. • These issues are awaiting the fnal go ahead from the government. • A major item on the EC list is the Aadhaar-voter ID linkage which it wants to bring in to weed out duplications and misrepresentations from the electoral rolls. • Aadhaar linkage and voter authentication are also considered critical to the commission’s plans to work towards electronic/Internet-based voting and for giving ‘remote’ voting rights to domestic migrants. • The Aadhar linkage is pending an amendment to the Representation of People’s Act. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 112 T.me/SleepyClasses • In discussions held until December 2019, the EC had assured that privacy and data safety-related concerns would be protected. • It is now waiting for the government to move the amendment to the Cabinet for approval. • One of these is a proposed amendment to Section 14(b) of the RP Act, which looks at registration for frst time voters as they turn 18 years of age. • Currently only those who turn 18 on January 1 can apply to register as a voter that year. • While the poll panel is expected to seek multiple registration dates, it is more likely that a twice-a- year format may come in to start with.

• The third recommendation pertaining to voting rights involves amendments to Section 20(6) of the Act — to allow the husband of a female service personnel to be registered as a service voter where she holds offce. • As of now, the sub section (8) of Section 20 of the Representation of People Act only allows the wife of a male ‘service’ voter to cast her vote as a service voter. • This facility is not available to the husband of a female service voter. • The current rules also do not permit children of a service voter residing with him to be enrolled as service voters. • The EC has been arguing against these clauses pointing out that it amounted to denial of voting rights to many eligible voters. • It has recommended to the law ministry that a more gender-neutral word, spouse, be used so that husbands residing with serving wives may also be able to vote.

143.Argentina’s Legalisation Of Abortion • Context: Argentina’s Congress legalised abortions up to the 14th week of pregnancy What does this bill mean? • Prior to the passing of the bill, abortions were only permitted in cases of rape or when the woman’s health was at serious risk.

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• Activists have been campaigning for years, calling for an overturning of this law that has been in existence since 1921. • The bill calls for greater autonomy for women over their own bodies and control of their reproductive rights, and also provides better healthcare for pregnant women and young mothers. Why is it a landmark bill? • Prior to this, girls and women were forced to turn to illegal and unsafe procedures because abortion was against the law in Argentina. • For girls and women from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the scope of access to safe medical procedures for abortion was even narrower. • According to Human Rights Watch, unsafe abortion was the leading cause of maternal mortality in the country. • The and the evangelical community wield immense power and infuence in Argentina and had strongly opposed the passing of this bill. • For several decades, following the beliefs of the Catholic Church, even the sale of contraceptives was prohibited in the country.

144.HUL’s Policy To Help Staff Facing Abuse www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 114 T.me/SleepyClasses • C o n t e x t : H i n d u s t a n Unilever Ltd (HUL) has rolled out a policy to help employees cope with domestic abuse • Employees who are subject to, or are survivors of, acts of physical or emotional a b u s e o u t s i d e t h e workplace can access urgent medical care and psychological counselling for themselves and their families, besides paid leave of up to 10 days. • This policy seeks to protect a n d g r a n t r e l i e f t o e m p l o y e e s w h o a r e survivors of abuse, or acts of physical or emotional a b u s e b e y o n d t h e workplace, such as in their personal (home) or other public spaces, including online • The policy will cover more than 20,000 employees of HUL, including white-collar and blue-collar workers. • Globally, Unilever launched the framework in October across all the markets it operates in. • The move follows reports of rising instances of domestic violence, as employees started working from home since the worldwide lockdowns imposed to combat covid-19. • One in three women and one in seven men encounter abuse at some point in their lifetime, according to HUL. • The harassment policies that are right now in place, the POSH Act, are restricted to workplace harassment. Now, with the home being an extended workplace, perhaps it is a good idea to actually cover even those form of harassment. • HUL’s initiative may set a precedent for India Inc. that has been embracing HR policies with an aim to make workplaces equitable and inclusive. • Last year, Tata Steel introduced a policy covering partners of employees who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community to avail HR benefts permissible under the law. • The idea is to provide more suitable opportunities to people of the community and end any form of stigma attached to them that might hinder them from getting employment.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 115 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • In a new policy announced in August, food ordering platform allowed all women (including transgender people) to avail up to 10 days of period leaves in a year.

145.India to open missions in Estonia, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic • Context: The government announced that it would open three missions in Estonia, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic in 2021. • The opening of the missions will help expand India’s diplomatic footprint, deepen political relations, enable growth of bilateral trade, investment and economic engagements, facilitate stronger people- to-people contacts, bolster political outreach in multilateral fora and help garner support for the foreign policy objectives • The move would also help the diaspora members residing in these countries. • The government had announced the opening of 18 missions in 2018 but not all of them have been established yet, and the opening of the newly announced missions may be further delayed by the impact of the pandemic. • Estonia welcomed the decision saying it would strengthen ties in trade and cybersecurity in particular. • Both Paraguay and the Dominican Republic had set up missions in Delhi in 2006. • The decision to open these three missions is a forward-looking step in pursuit of our national priority of growth and development or ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’. • Enhancement of India’s diplomatic presence will provide market access for companies and bolster exports of goods and services.

146.3 States, 3 Anti-conversion Laws • Context: The Madhya Pradesh government is set to follow two other BJP-ruled states — Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh — in passing an anti-conversion law that outlaws religious conversion solely for the purpose of marriage. The MP Cabinet has approved the Freedom to Religion Bill, 2020 as an Ordinance. • While a common feature of all three laws is the declaration of such marriages as “null and void” and the penalising of conversions done without the prior approval of the state, they differ in the quantum of punishment prescribed, and in attributing the burden of proof that a conversion is lawful. • Also, the MP law seeks to protect the rights of women of such marriages. Prior notice • The MP law requires a 60-day prior “declaration of the intention to convert” to the District Magistrate for conversion to be valid, following which a couple from different religions can be legally married. • The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religious Ordinance, 2020 promulgated in November, too requires a 60-day notice but also requires the Magistrate to conduct a police inquiry to ascertain the real intention behind the conversion. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 116 T.me/SleepyClasses • The Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2019, requires a 30-day prior “declaration of intention to convert”. Who can investigate • Section 4 of the MP law states that there cannot be an investigation by a police offcer except on the written complaint of the person converted or the person’s parents/siblings. • Guardians of the person converted can fle a complaint only with the permission of a court. • The MP law also says that no police offcer below the rank of a sub-inspector can investigate an offence under the law. • The Himachal law says that prosecution cannot be initiated without the prior sanction of an offcer not below the rank of a sub-divisional magistrate. • The UP law allows the same people as allowed by the MP law to fle a complaint. Burden of proof • The MP law places on the person converted the burden of proving that the conversion was done without any coercion or illegality. • The Himachal law has a similar provision. • The UP law goes further, placing this burden of proof on people who “caused” or “facilitated” the conversion and not on the individual. • Even in the police inquiry, if the Magistrate is not satisfed, criminal action under Section 11 of the Ordinance can be initiated against persons who “caused” the conversion. • This includes those who committed the offence; omitted to act and prevent the offence; and aided, abetted, counselled or procured people for committing the offence. Maintenance & inheritance • While declaring as “null and void” any marriage in which either the husband or the wife has converted, even consensual, unless they have given prior notice to the state government, MP’s new law at the same time seeks to protect the right of women and her child from the “null and void” marriage. • Under Section 9, the woman whose marriage has been declared null and void under this legislation, and her children, will have a right to maintenance.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 117 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • The law does not, however, provide a recourse for ensuring the marriage can be protected subsequently. • Neither the UP nor the Himachal law has such provisions. Jail terms in UP, MP and Himachal Pradesh 147.Vertical And Horizontal Reservations • Context: The Supreme Court has clarifed the position of law on the interplay of vertical and horizontal reservations.

What are vertical and horizontal reservations? • Reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes is referred to as vertical reservation. • It applies separately for each of the groups specifed under the law. • Horizontal reservation refers to the equal opportunity provided to other categories of benefciaries such as women, veterans, the transgender community, and individuals with disabilities, cutting through the vertical categories.

How are the two categories of quotas applied together? • The horizontal quota is applied separately to each vertical category, and not across the board. • For example, if women have 50% horizontal quota, then half of the selected candidates will have to necessarily be women in each vertical quota category — i.e., half of all selected SC candidates will have to be women, half of the unreserved or general category will have to be women, and so on. • The court held that if a person belonging to an intersection of vertical-horizontal reserved category had secured scores high enough to qualify without the vertical reservation, the person would be counted as qualifying without the vertical reservation, and cannot be excluded from the horizontal quota in the general category. • A similar question had arisen in the case of vertical reservations in the past, and the law had been settled similarly: • If a person in the SC category secures a higher score than the cut-off for the general category, the person would be counted as having qualifed under the general category instead of the SC quota.

What was the government’s argument? • The government’s policy was to restrict and contain reserved category candidates to their categories, even when they had secured higher grades. • The court said this was tantamount to ensuring that the general category was ‘reserved’ for upper castes. What was the court’s reasoning? • The court did the math.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 118 T.me/SleepyClasses • Examining a number of hypothetical scenarios, it concluded that if both vertical and horizontal quotas were to be applied together — and consequently, a high-scoring candidate who would otherwise qualify without one of the two reservations is knocked off the list — then the overall selection would have candidates with lower scores. • On the other hand, if a high-scoring candidate is allowed to drop one category, the court found that the overall selection would refect more high-scoring candidates. • In other words, the “meritorious” candidates would be selected. • The ruling strikes at the heart of the debate on “merit versus reservation”, where reservation is sometimes projected as being anti-merit.

Mandal Commission • In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 340 of the Constitution, the President appointed a backward class commission in December 1978 under the chairmanship of B. P. Mandal. • The commission was formed to determine the criteria for defning India’s “socially and educationally backward classes” and to recommend steps to be taken for the advancement of those classes. • The Mandal Commission concluded that India’s population consisted of approximately 52 percent OBCs, therefore 27% government jobs should be reserved for them. • The commission has developed eleven indicators of social, educational, and economic backwardness. • Apart from identifying backward classes among Hindus, the Commission has also identifed backward classes among non-Hindus (e.g., Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and Buddhists. • It has generated an all-India other backward classes (OBC) list of 3,743 castes and a more underprivileged “depressed backward classes” list of 2,108 castes.

Constitutional Provisions Governing Reservation in India • Part XVI deals with reservation of SC and ST in Central and State legislatures. • Article 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution enabled the State and Central Governments to reserve seats in government services for the members of the SC and ST. • The Constitution was amended by the Constitution (77th Amendment) Act, 1995 and a new clause (4A) was inserted in Article 16 to enable the government to provide reservation in promotion. • Later, clause (4A) was modifed by the Constitution (85th Amendment) Act, 2001 to provide consequential seniority to SC and ST candidates promoted by giving reservation. • Constitutional 81st Amendment Act, 2000 inserted Article 16 (4 B) which enables the state to fll the unflled vacancies of a year which are reserved for SCs/STs in the succeeding year, thereby nullifying the ceiling of ffty percent reservation on total number of vacancies of that year. • Article 330 and 332 provides for specifc representation through reservation of seats for SCs and STs in the Parliament and in the State Legislative Assemblies respectively. • Article 243D provides reservation of seats for SCs and STs in every Panchayat. • Article 233T provides reservation of seats for SCs and STs in every Municipality. Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 119 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Article 335 of the constitution says that the claims of STs and STs shall be taken into consideration constituently with the maintenance of effcacy of the administration.

148.Clear Stand On Same-sex Marriages • Context: The Delhi High Court has granted the Centre and the Delhi government one last chance to fle a response to petitions seeking the recognition and registration of same-sex marriages under Marriage Act, the Special Marriage Act and the Foreign Marriage Act. • The PIL seeking the recognition of same-sex marriages under the Hindu Marriage Act has been fled • The court last year observed that the statute is gender neutral and the Centre must interpret the law in favour of citizens of India. • The Delhi High Court granted a last opportunity to the Centre and the Delhi government to respond to three separate pleas, including by two couples, seeking that same-sex marriage be recognised by law. • In the frst petition it has been contended that marriages between same sex couples are not possible despite the Supreme Court decriminalising consensual homosexual acts and sought a declaration to recognise same sex marriages under the Hindu Marriage Act (HMA) and Special Marriage Act (SMA). • The two other pleas are — one fled by two women seeking to get married under the SMA and challenging provisions of the statute to the extent it does not provide for same sex marriages, and the other by two men who got married in the U.S. but were denied registration of their marriage under the Foreign Marriage Act (FMA).

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 120 T.me/SleepyClasses • The petition fled by equal rights activists contended that homosexuality has been decriminalised by the Supreme Court but same sex marriages are still not being allowed under the HMA provisions. • This is despite the fact that the said Act does not distinguish between heterosexual and homosexual marriage if one were to go by how it has been worded. • It very clearly states that marriage can indeed be solemnised between 'any two Hindus'. • In this view of the matter, it can be stated that it is against the constitutional mandate of non- arbitrariness if the said right is not extended to homosexual apart from heterosexual couples • The denial of this right to homosexual couples is also against the mandate of various international conventions that India is signatory to. • The Centre had earlier told the High Court that marriage between same sex couples was "not permissible" as it was not recognised by "our laws, legal system, society and our values”. • The petition said the case for extending the same right of marriage to 'lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender' (LGBT) persons as those enjoyed by everyone else is neither radical nor complicated and rests on two fundamental principles that underpin International Human Rights Law — equality and non-discrimination. • It sought a declaration stating that Section 5 of the HMA does not distinguish between homosexual and heterosexual couples and the right of same sex couples to marry should be recognised under the Act. • Without marriage, the petitioners are strangers in law. • Article 21 of the Constitution of India protects the right to marry a person of one's choice and this right applies with full force to same-sex couples, just as it does to opposite-sex couples, is contended in the plea. • Non recognition of their marriage by the laws here continues to disentitle them to travel as a married couple to India and spend time with their families during Covid 19 pandemic.

149.Confessions Before Priests • Context: Allow Us To Confess Before A Priest Of Our Own Choice : Five women From Jacobite Faction Of Malankara Church Moves Supreme Court • The Supreme Court agreed to consider a petition fled by a group of women against the compulsory nature of sacred confessions to priests in Christianity. • Petitioners have argued that the confessions are being abused. • But Court said the veracity of such allegations would depend on the individual facts in every case. • The court has to see whether confessions are an integral part of the religion. • The major issue revolves around the forced confessions violating the right to privacy. Earlier interventions • Court has earlier intervened in questions concerning the personal laws and customs of communities like the Bohra Muslims and Parsis.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 121 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • The court could examine the issues in the petition as they came within the ambit of the questions of faith, rights of women and equality • Attorney General when asked for an opinion by the court, he said the whole issue stemmed from the Jacobite-Orthodox dispute. • The Supreme Court had upheld the validity of the 1934 Constitution of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church to govern the parishes under the church.

Similar plea • Earlier, the court had agreed to examine a separate but similar plea by members of the Malankara Syrian Church in Kerala seeking a declaration that forced confessions were unconstitutional by nature. • The petition had said these confessions may involve sexual exploitation of parishioners. • Church is forcing the members to mandatorily confess and mandatorily make payment of monies/ dues and the said practises indulged in by the church are of public nature, affecting human dignity and liberty of thought and that the believers have been forced to remain meek and quiet out of fear of removal from parish membership, social ostracisation, etc,

150.'Institutions Of Eminence' Campuses In Foreign Countries • Context: Indian universities and colleges with the Institutions of Eminence (IOEs) tag, which include several IITs, will now be able to set up campuses in foreign countries with the University Grants Commission (UGC) issuing fresh guidelines on the same. • The Education Ministry had launched the IoE scheme in 2018 as per which 20 institutions were to be selected — 10 public and 10 private ones — that would enjoy complete academic and administrative autonomy. • The new guidelines have been issued in line with the new National Education Policy (NEP) as per which foreign universities will be allowed to set up campuses in India and top Indian institutes in foreign countries. • According to the norms, IoEs shall be permitted to start a maximum of three off-campus centres in fve years, but not more than one in an academic year. • They will, however, require approval from as many as three ministries — education, home and external affairs — before they can venture out. • Institutions of Eminence... shall be permitted to set up new off-campus centres-maximum of three in fve years and not more than one in one academic year by following the procedures • An institution willing to establish an off-campus centre shall have to submit an application to the Ministry of Education containing its 10-year ‘strategic vision plan’ and a fve-year ‘rolling implementation plan’ which would include the plans for academics, faculty recruitment, student admissions, research, infrastructure development, fnance and administration, etc. • The IoEs shall be permitted to start an off-campus centre in an interim campus, subject to the condition that the permanent campus shall be ready “within a reasonable time period not exceeding fve years”. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 122 T.me/SleepyClasses • The institutes shall be allowed to start new off campuses with the prior approval of the education ministry after receiving no objection certifcate from the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs. • IoEs shall ensure that the norms and standards of offshore campus shall be the same as that maintained in the main campus for similar courses, and shall follow similar admission criteria, curriculum, exam and evaluation system. • In the frst lot, Indian Institutes of Delhi, IIT Bombay and the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) were awarded the IoE status in the public sector, and Manipal Academy of Higher Education and BITS Pilani in the private sector, while the Jio Institute by Reliance Foundation was given the tag in Greenfeld category. • In 2019, fve public institutions including Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, University of Hyderabad, IIT-Madras and IIT-Kharagpur were granted the status. • A Letter of Intent for granting the IoE status was also issued to fve private universities — Amrita Vidyapeetham and Vellore Institute of Technology in Tamil Nadu, Odisha’s Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Jamia Hamdard University in Delhi and Satya Bharti Foundation's Bharti Instiute in Mohali. • While the government will provide funding upto Rs 1,000 crore to public institutions with IoE tag, in case of the private institutions proposed as Institutions of Eminence, there will be no fnancial support. • But they will be entitled to more autonomy as a special category Deemed University. • A proposed off-campus centre is expected to achieve a teacher-student ratio of 1:20 initially, and 1:10 by the end of fve years. • The faculty for this purpose shall include the regular faculty, adjunct faculty, overseas faculty, visiting faculty, contractual faculty, industry faculty and tenure track faculty or faculty as otherwise permitted by the Statutory Council concerned. • It adds that at least 60 per cent of the appointed faculty members should be on permanent basis. • The institute should also have enrolled a minimum of 500 students on its rolls under regular classroom mode with one third PG/research students

151.Supreme Court’s Ruling On Farm Laws • Context: The issues in the farm bills are complex. But how the Supreme Court is interpreting its function is something to ponder upon. • The apex court has suspended the implementation of the farm laws, and created a committee to ascertain the various grievances. But it is not clear what the legal basis of this suspension is. • The court’s action is seen as a violation of separation of powers. • It also gives the misleading impression that a distributive confict can be resolved by technical or judicial means. • It is also not a court’s job to mediate a political dispute. • Its job is to determine unconstitutionality or illegality. Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 123 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Even in suspending laws there needs to be some prima facie case that these lapses might have taken place. • But instead of doing a hearing on the substance it has simply decided to create a committee to hear farmers’ grievances and wade into political territory. • It has set a new precedent for putting on hold laws passed by Parliament without substantive hearings on the content of the laws • It has muddied all the possible lines of judicial procedure, where it is not clear what the locus standi of different counsel are, what are the specifc prayers that need to be addressed and how the court’s remedies address them. • It has not really heard the farmers, whose counsel were not fully heard before the passing of orders. • The framework governing agriculture needs serious reform. • The objective of reform must be to improve farmers’ incomes and well-being, to increase crop diversifcation, make agriculture more environmentally sustainable, make subsidies less counterproductive, keep food infation down, and ensure that nutrition reaches all. • Achieving all these objectives in no easy task, especially in states like Punjab. • The court has also positioned itself as an arbiter of national security by taking seriously the Attorney General’s contention that farmers’ protests may be the vehicle for the Khalistan movement. • This is delegitimisation of protest by misdirection. • It is preparing the ground for the protests on a signifcant scale being rendered illegal. • What the farmers need is clarity of law where relevant, and the right to make their demands heard through the political process and civil society. • It has set a bad precedent where implementation of laws can be suspended without legal basis 152.Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Examination Rules 2021 • Context: Jharkhand has for the frst time framed rules pertaining to Jharkhand Civil Services. • This will supersede The Bihar Civil Services (Executive Branch) and The Bihar Junior Civil Services Recruitment Rules of 1951, and will be applicable for appointment to direct quota vacancies in various services such as the Jharkhand Administrative Service, Jharkhand Police Service among others.

Why was the Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Examination Rules, 2021 needed? • The Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), which conducts Combined Civil Service Examination, has conducted only six exams in 20 years. • In 2010, an FIR was lodged against a former member for alleged irregularities in written exams and interviews. • At least 204 petitions—related to confusion, corruption in the selection process and irregularities among others—were fled in the High Court with more than 30 per cent cases pending in the courts. • In the last examination, the result of the Prelims examinations was declared thrice. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 124 T.me/SleepyClasses • In the frst instance, around 5,000 candidates qualifed for the Mains, but the result was cancelled because the reservation rule for OBC candidates was not taken into account. • In the second revised result, 6,103 candidates qualifed, but SC/ST students were ignored leading to cancellation of the results. • The new rules aim to avoid any such confusion. What do the new rules state? • A calendar of vacancies will be published at the start of each year which wasn’t done until the last exam. • The cadre-controlling department shall calculate the number of vacancies each year on January 1 with respect to the service to be flled in that particular year by direct recruitment and shall provide requisition for appointment to the Commission after roster clearance through the Department of Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Rajbhasha. • Marks obtained in Main (Written Test) Language Paper which is only qualifying in nature will not be added to the aggregate marks for calculation of percentage of marks, or for preparation of merit list for Main (Interview Test), or for preparation of fnal merit list. • This is a huge relief for candidates as earlier it was up to the whims and fancies of offcers to decide whether to add those marks or not in preparation of merit list. • The government has made it clear that those marks will be considered as qualifying. • While making service allocation, the reserved category candidates—who have not availed any relaxation—recommended against unreserved vacancies may be adjusted against unreserved vacancies by the Commission, and if he cannot, then he shall be adjusted in reserved category if they get a service of higher choice in the order of their preference.

• The rules state that the candidates who obtain minimum qualifying marks of 40 in ‘aggregate’ shall only be considered by the Commission while preparing the selection list for Main Examination and for preparing the merit list for the purpose of Main (Interview) Test. • However, the minimum qualifying marks will be relaxed for Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes and Females to 32%; Extremely Backward Classes to 34%; Backward Classes to 36.5%; and Primitive Tribal Group to 30%. • Confusion arose in the 6th JPSC exam where it was not clear whether the minimum qualifying marks were calculated subject wise or in aggregate. • For each vacancy, 15 candidates will be selected for Main (Examination). • In 2016, for 326 posts, a total of 34,634 applicants were eligible for the Mains exam. • The candidates to job ratio was more than 100. Rules that experts say may create controversy • The new rules say that the number of candidates to be admitted to the Main (Written) Examination will be approximately 15 times the total number of advertised vacancies.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 125 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Further, irrespective of category, the ‘15-times’ number will be selected in the Prelims and in case of inadequate representation from reserved category then the commission may at their discretion keep the cut-off marks up to eight percent less than that it was for the ‘last selected candidate’, but it shall not be less than the minimum marks. So, technically there is no reservation in Prelims • For example: If there are 100 vacancies, the frst 1,500 candidates will be selected for the Mains irrespective of which category they belong to. • Later, if there are no adequate representation from reserved category/categories, then the Commission may reduce the cut-off marks—for those categories who did get enough representation —not more than 8% from the marks obtained by 1500th candidate—and that too it should be less than the minimum qualifying marks mentioned in the rules. • This particular rule will affect many prospective students. • Ideally the Commission should select 15 times the advertised vacancy in respective categories, rather than selecting 1500 candidates purely on merit. • For example: if, there are 100 total vacancies, and 27 seats are reserved for OBCs, then 405(15 times 27) candidates from OBC community should be selected for Mains and likewise for other categories rather than selecting 1500 candidates for mains. • There may be a possibility that some seats may remain vacant. • There is no provision in the news rules for the graduation fnal year/appearing applicants. • The UPSC, however, has a provision. • The request for withdrawal of candidature received from a candidate after he has submitted his application will be not entertained by the Commission. • The number of attempts of candidates may also get affected. • Also, candidates would demand return of money paid for the application forms. 153.First U.S. President To Be Impeached Twice • Context: President Trump was impeached by the U.S. House for a historic second time on January 13, charged with “incitement of insurrection” over the deadly mob siege of the Capitol in a swift and stunning collapse of his fnal days in offce. • Mr. Trump is the only U.S. President to be twice impeached. • Impeachment is a provision that allows Congress to remove the President of the United States. • The House of Representatives (Lower House) has the “the sole power of impeachment” while the Senate (Upper House) has “the sole power to try all impeachments”. • The Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court has the duty of presiding over impeachment trials in the Senate. • Grounds for impeachment: ✓The President can be removed from offce for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors”. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 126 T.me/SleepyClasses

✓It means an abuse of power by a high-level public offcial.

✓This does not necessarily have to be a violation of an ordinary criminal statute.

✓Historically, in the US, it has encompassed corruption and other abuses, including trying to obstruct judicial proceedings.

154.8 Point Agenda To UN Security Council By India • Context: Speaking at the United Nations Security Council open debate on the topic of Threats to International Peace and security caused by terrorist acts, India said the economic uncertainty caused due to the pandemic has made the radical extremist ideologies more susceptible towards terrorist activities. • India has proposed an eight-point Action Plan to counter global terrorism and called upon world community to ‘’walk the talk’’ and commit to the goal of ‘’zero tolerance’’ with 'no ifs and buts' against the scourge. • The eight points of the Action Plan are: ✓Summoning the political will to ‘’unhesitatingly’’ combat terrorism. Member States should fulfll their obligations enshrined in international counter terrorism instruments and conventions.

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✓Decrying ‘’double standards’’ in the fght against terrorism. Terrorists are terrorists and there is no good or bad distinction. Those who propagate this only have an agenda. And those who cover up for them are just as culpable.

✓Reform of the working methods of the Committees dealing with Sanctions and Counter Terrorism. Transparency, accountability and effectiveness are the need of the day. The practice of placing blocks and holds onlisting requests without any rhyme or reason must end. This only erodes our collective credibility.

✓Firmly discouraging exclusivist thinking that divides the world and harms social fabric. Such approaches facilitate radicalization and recruitment by breeding fear, mistrust and hatred among different communities. The Council should be on guard against new terminologies and false priorities that can dilute focus.

✓Enlisting and delisting individuals and entities under the UN sanctions regimes objectively not for political or religious considerations. Proposals in this regard merit due examination before circulation.

✓Fully recognizing and addressing the link between terrorism and transnational organized crime

✓Combating terrorist fnancing will only be as effective as the weakest jurisdiction. Financial Action Task Force (FATF) should continue to identify and remedy weaknesses in anti-money laundering and counter-terror can make a big difference.

✓Immediate attention to adequate funding to UN Counter Terrorism bodies from UN regular budget. The forthcoming 7th review of the UN’s Global Counter Terrorism Strategy offers an important occasion to strengthen measures to prevent and combat terrorism and build capacities of member states.

155.Russia withdraws from Open Skies Treaty • Context: Russia announced it is pulling out of the Open Skies treaty saying that the pact, had been seriously compromised by the withdrawal of the United States. • The United States left the Open Skies arms control and verifcation treaty in November, accusing Russia of violating it, something Moscow denied. • Russia has raised concerns that despite leaving the treaty Washington could potentially retain access to overfight intelligence gathered by allies who remain members in the treaty. • Signed March 24, 1992, the Open Skies Treaty permits each state-party to conduct short-notice, unarmed, reconnaissance fights over the others' entire territories to collect data on military forces and activities. • Observation aircraft used to fy the missions must be equipped with sensors that enable the observing party to identify signifcant military equipment, such as artillery, fghter aircraft, and armored combat vehicles. • Though satellites can provide the same, and even more detailed, information, not all of the treaty states-parties have such capabilities. • The treaty is also aimed at building confdence and familiarity among states-parties through their participation in the overfights. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 128 T.me/SleepyClasses • President Dwight Eisenhower frst proposed that the United States and the Soviet Union allow aerial reconnaissance fights over each other's territory in July 1955. • Claiming the initiative would be used for extensive spying, Moscow rejected Eisenhower's proposal. • President George H.W. Bush revived the idea in May 1989 and negotiations between NATO and the Warsaw Pact started in February 1990. • Treaty Status: The Open Skies Treaty entered into force on January 1, 2002, and 34 states are party to the treaty, though United States withdrew from the treaty in November 2020. • Twenty-six of the treaty’s initial 27 signatories have ratifed the accord and are now states-parties. • Since the treaty entered into force, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Sweden have become states-parties. • Territory: All of a state-party's territory can be overfown. No territory can be declared off-limits by the host nation. • Flight Quotas: Every state-party is obligated to accept a certain number of overfights each year, referred to as its passive quota, which is loosely determined by its geographic size. A state-party's active quota is the number of fights it may conduct over other states-parties. Each state-party has a right to conduct an equal number of fights over any other state-party that overfies it. A state-party's active quota cannot exceed its passive quota, and a single state-party cannot request more than half of another state-party's passive quota. • The treaty allows for multiple states-parties to take part in an overfight. The fight will count as an active fight for each state-party participating. Regardless of the number of observing states-parties, however, the overfight will only count as one passive overfight for the observed state-party. • Russia conducted the frst observation fight under the treaty in August 2002, while the United States carried out its frst offcial fight in December 2002. • In 2008, states-parties celebrated the 500th overfight. Between 2002 and 2019, more than 1,500 fights have taken place. • Process: An observing state-party must provide at least 72 hours' advance notice before arriving in the host country to conduct an overfight. The host country has 24 hours to acknowledge the request and to inform the observing party if it may use its own observation plane or if it must use a plane supplied by the host. At least 24 hours before the start of the fight, the observing party will supply its fight plan, which the host has four hours to review. • The host may only request changes in fight plans for fight safety or logistical reasons. If it does so, the two states-parties have a total of eight hours after submission of the original fight plan to agree on changes, if they fail, the fight can be cancelled. The observation mission must be completed within 96 hours of the observing party's arrival unless otherwise agreed. • Although state-parties are allowed to overfy all of a member’s territory, the treaty determines specifc points of entry and exit and refueling airfelds. • The treaty also establishes ground resolution thresholds for the onboard still and video cameras. The aircraft and its sensors must undergo a certifcation procedure before being allowed to be used for Open Skies in order to confrm that they do not exceed the allowed resolutions.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 129 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Aircraft: The treaty lays out standards for aircraft used for observation fights. Aircraft may be equipped with four types of sensors: optical panoramic and framing cameras, video cameras with real- time display, infra-red line-scanning devices, and sideways-looking synthetic aperture radar. For the frst three full years after the treaty entered into force, the observation aircraft had to be equipped with at least a single panoramic camera or a pair of optical framing cameras. The states-parties may now agree on outftting the observation planes with additional sensors. • Data: A copy of all data collected will be supplied to the host country. All states-parties will receive a mission report and have the option of purchasing the data collected by the observing state-party. • Treaty Implementation: The Open Skies Consultative Commission (OSCC), comprised of representatives of all states-parties, is responsible for the implementation of the Open Skies Treaty. The OSCC considers matters of treaty compliance, decides on treaty membership, distributes active quotas, and deals with any questions that may arise during the implementation of the treaty. • Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States (though US withdrew from the treaty in November 2020). Kyrgyzstan has signed, but not ratifed the treaty. • For example, Russia, which shares its quota with Belarus, and the United States both have quotas permitting 42 fights per year, while Portugal is only obligated to allow two fights annually. • Countries are not required to exhaust their fight quotas. In 2009, the United States few a total of thirteen fights, twelve over Russia and one over Ukraine. • This limit can be extended by 24 hours if the host insists that the observing party use the host's aircraft and demonstration fight is conducted.

156.Supreme Court directive on quota in promotions • Context: The Supreme Court asked Attorney General to compile the various issues being raised by States with regard to the application of a Constitution Bench judgment of 2006 in M. Nagaraj case, which had upheld the application of creamy layer principle to members of the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled T r i b e c o m m u n i t i e s i n promotions.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 130 T.me/SleepyClasses • The case is based on a plea by the Centre to refer to a seven- judge Bench the question whether creamy layer should apply or not to the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe community while providing t h e m r e s e r v a t i o n i n g ove r n m e n t promotions. • The Centre’s plea came despite the Supreme Court verdict in September 2018, in Jarnail Singh case, reiterating the Nagaraj judgment of 2006. • The 2018 judgment had refused the government’s plea to refer the 2006 Nagaraj judgment to a seven-judge Bench. • It had, while modifying the part of the Nagaraj verdict which required States to show quantifable data to prove the ‘backwardness’ of a Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe community to provide quota in promotion in public employment, rejected the Centre’s argument that Nagaraj misread the creamy layer concept by applying it to SC/ ST. • SC said the issues raised by States are not common. • Promotions which have been made or proposed to be made in several States are in question in these matters. • Hence SC directed Advocates-on-Record appearing for each State should furnish a note clearly stating the issues involved in that particular State to the Attorney General for India

157.Increasing women’s marriage age • C o n t e x t : A t a s k f o r c e constituted by the government to examine its proposal of increasing the age of marriage for women has submitted its report, recommending an increase in the age from 18 to 21. • The report recommends an increase in the age from 18 to 21, but in a phased manner. • That means states should be given enough space and time to do the groundwork for such a legislation, since it cannot be done overnight.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 131 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • On Independence Day, PM had said the government could re-look at the age of marriage for women, in its bid to fght malnutrition. • The task force, constituted in June 2020, consisted of secretaries of the health and family welfare, women & child development (WCD), higher education, school education & literacy ministries, and the Legislative Department of the Ministry of Law and Justice. • Other members included Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia; former vice-chancellor of SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai; and Gujarat-based gynecologist. • The task force has said the age of a woman at the time of her frst childbirth should be 21 years. • The report says evidence shows that delay in marriage has positive economic, social and health effects for families, women, children and the society at large. • Studies — based on evidence from 50-plus low and middle income countries to fnd the association of maternal age with infant mortality, child anthropometric failure, diarrhoea and anaemia for frst births — show that the risk declines after age 21. • While the risk of poor child health outcomes is the lowest for women who have their frst births between 27 and 29, the broad range for an optimal age of motherhood is 21 to 35 years. • The foremost mandate of the task force was to examine the correlation of age of marriage and motherhood with health, medical well-being and nutritional status of mother and the child during pregnancy, birth and thereafter. • The task force has not recommended that the age of consent should be increased.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 132 T.me/SleepyClasses • The focus should be on sex counselling and sex education, instead of adopting a judgmental view of sex. • On voiding marriages of under-18 women by default, marriages under the age of 21 shouldn’t be made void immediately. • The task force has recommended that the Karnataka model should be studied closely before making child marriages void. • In 2017, the Karnataka government passed the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Karnataka Amendment) Act, 2016, declaring all marriages between minors void “ab initio” (starting from the beginning). • In 2019 WCD ministry was exploring a proposal to standardise the minimum age for marriage at 18 years for both men and women under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006. • The Law Commission, in 2008, had recommended a uniform age of marriage for boys and girls at 18 years, and not 21. • In 2018, the National Human Rights Commission had also recommended that there should be a uniform age of marriage for boys and girls.

• The logic behind bringing down the age of marriage for men from 21 to 18 has been that legally, the age of adulthood is 18, and an individual is even allowed to vote at that age. • Reducing the age of marriage from 21 to 18 for men, it has been believed, serves the purpose of standardising the age of marriage for men and women. • A sub-committee set up by the government before this task force had said the majority view was to not increase the age of marriage, and for there to be no amendments made to the PCM Act without examining their sociological impact on the girl child, even though there was no legal impediment to increasing the age. • The sub-committee, headed by the secretary of the legislative department, had said a study of the social and cultural impact of such a move must be conducted. • However, while the government-appointed task force has looked into these questions, it has recommended an increase instead of a reduction, given the signifcant health benefts of reproduction after the age of 21.

158.US to resume WHO funding • Context: The United States says it will resume its funding of the UN’s health agency as it shifts towards greater international cooperation in the fght against COVID-19, while also launching a $1.9 trillion plan to tackle the pandemic.

How the WHO is funded and where the money is spent? • The decision by United States President Donald Trump to halt US funding to the World Health Organisation in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic sparked a major controversy. • The US is one of the largest donors to the WHO, contributing nearly $90 million, or about 16% of the organisation’s total budget in 2018-’19.

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Where funds come from? • The World Health Organisation shares a common funding model with other United Nations agencies. • This includes mandatory or “assessed contributions” from the member countries, which are determined by each country’s income level and population. • This is supplemented by “voluntary contributions” from both member states and non-governmental organisations. • In recent years, multilateral development agencies such as The Global Fund, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, and philanthropists such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have emerged as key voluntary contributors. • The WHO is free to spend the income from assessed contributions on whatever programmes or activities it wants to. • But the voluntary contributions combine both fexible funds untied to any specifc purposes and money which can only be spent on specifc programmes or activities decided by the donor.

The decision makers • Every year, the decision-making body of the WHO – the World Health Assembly, comprised of delegations from all 194 member states – is convened in Geneva. • The Assembly reviews and approves the WHO’s programme budget, which specifes which programmes and regions the money would be spent on. • This draws on a document referred to as the General Programme of Work, which details the strategic priorities and goals of WHO, which are usually linked with other global development commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 134 T.me/SleepyClasses • The fnancial estimates for the General Programme of Work – the current one is for 2019-’23 – sets out the resources required for the different activities and areas of the WHO’s global work. • These are mapped to specifc targets that can be easily monitored. • The Programme and fnancial estimates are frst approved by the WHO’s executive board, and then by the member countries at the World Health Assembly. • Different NGOs who make voluntary contributions also get to review and approve activities supported out of their contributions. • WHO budgets are divided between its six regional offces and the headquarters in Geneva. The funds are allocated into base programmes which have six categories:

✓Communicable diseases

✓Non-communicable diseases

✓Promoting health through the life course (essentially a combination of maternal, child and elderly health programmes)

✓Health systems

✓Health emergencies programmes

✓Corporate services, which includes expenditure on improving governance, leadership and programme management • There are also distinct budget lines on special programmes, for example on tropical disease research, and a new scientifc research division introduced in 2019. And there is a dedicated budget line on polio eradication.

✓An important aspect of WHO’s work also involves producing guidelines for implementing different health programmes and responding to major heath challenges – and sharing of knowledge between countries.

✓Among the regional offces, Africa receives the highest share of the WHO’s budgets for the base programmes, followed by the Eastern Mediterranean and South-East Asia.

159.U.S. to review Houthi terrorist label • Context: U.S. administration will quickly revisit the designation of Yemen’s Houthi rebels as terrorists and end support to the devastating Saudi offensive on the country. • Trump administration had put them in the terrorist group. • The United Nations and aid groups have warned the terrorist designation risks worsening the plight of a country where millions depend on aid to survive. • The designation took effect recently, with the Houthis warning that they would respond to any action against them. • The confict has its roots in the failure of a political transition supposed to bring stability to Yemen following an Arab Spring uprising that forced its longtime authoritarian president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to hand over power to his deputy, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, in 2011.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 135 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses Background • The Houthi movement (known formally as Ansar Allah), which champions Yemen's Zaidi Shia Muslim minority and fought a series of rebellions against Saleh during the previous decade, took advantage of the new president's weakness by taking control of their northern heartland of Saada province and neighbouring areas. • Disillusioned with the transition, many ordinary Yemenis - including Sunnis - supported the Houthis, and in late 2014 and early 2015 the rebels gradually took over the capital Sana. • A Saudi-led multinational coalition intervened in the confict in Yemen in March 2015 • The Houthis and security forces loyal to Saleh - who was thought to have backed his erstwhile enemies in a bid to regain power - then attempted to take control of the entire country, forcing Mr Hadi to fee abroad in March 2015. • Alarmed by the rise of a group they believed to be backed militarily by regional Shia power Iran, Saudi Arabia and eight other mostly Sunni Arab states began an air campaign aimed at defeating the Houthis, ending Iranian infuence in Yemen and restoring Mr Hadi's government.

• The coalition received logistical and intelligence support from the US, UK and France.

What's happened since then? • At the start of the war Saudi offcials forecast that it would last only a few weeks. • But four years of military stalemate have followed. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 136 T.me/SleepyClasses • Coalition ground troops landed in the southern port city of Aden in August 2015 and helped drive the Houthis and their allies out of much of the south over the next few months. • Mr Hadi's government has established a temporary home in Aden, but it struggles to provide basic services and security and the president continues to be based in Saudi Arabia. • The Houthis meanwhile have not been dislodged from Sanaa and north-western Yemen. • They have been able to maintain a siege of the third city of Taiz and to launch regular ballistic missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia. In September 2019, Saudi Arabia's eastern oil felds of Abqaiq and Khurais were attacked by air, disrupting nearly half the kingdom's oil production - representing around 5% of global oil output. • The Houthis claimed responsibility but Saudi Arabia and the US accused Iran of carrying out the attacks. • Militants from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the local affliate of the rival Islamic State group (IS) have taken advantage of the chaos by seizing territory in the south and carrying out deadly attacks, notably in Aden. • The launch of a ballistic missile towards Riyadh in November 2017 prompted the Saudi-led coalition to tighten its blockade of Yemen. • It said it wanted to halt the smuggling of weapons to the rebels by Iran - an accusation Tehran denied - but the restrictions led to substantial increases in the prices of food and fuel, helping to push more people into food insecurity. • The alliance between the Houthis and Ali Abdullah Saleh also collapsed in November 2017 following deadly clashes over control of Sanaa's biggest mosque. • Houthi fghters launched an operation to take full control of the capital and Saleh was killed. • In June 2018, the coalition attempted to break the deadlock on the battlefeld by launching a major offensive to capture from the Houthis the Red Sea city of Hudaydah, whose port is the principal lifeline for almost two thirds of Yemen's population. • The UN warned that the port's destruction would constitute a "tipping point" beyond which it was going to be impossible to avert massive loss of life due to famine. • After six months of fghting, the warring parties agreed a ceasefre at talks in Sweden. • The Stockholm agreement required them to redeploy their forces from Hudaydah, establish a prisoner exchange mechanism, and to address the situation in Taiz. • While hundreds of prisoners have since been released, the full redeployment of forces from Hudaydah has not yet taken place, raising fears that the Stockholm agreement will collapse and that the battle for Hudaydah will resume. • In July 2019, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a key ally of Saudi Arabia in the war, facing international criticism of its conduct, announced a withdrawal of its forces from Yemen. • In August, fghting erupted in the south between Saudi- backed government forces and an ostensibly allied southern separatist movement supported by the UAE, the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 137 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Forces loyal to the STC, which accused Mr Hadi of mismanagement and links to Islamists, seized control of Aden and refused to allow the cabinet to return until Saudi Arabia brokered a power- sharing deal that November. • The UN hoped the agreement would clear the way for a political settlement to end the civil war, but in January 2020 there was a sudden escalation in hostilities between the Houthis and coalition-led forces, with fghting on several front lines, missile strikes and air raids. • In April 2020 the STC declared self-rule in Aden, breaking a peace deal signed with the internationally recognised government, saying it would govern the port city and southern provinces. • Saudi Arabia announced a unilateral ceasefre the same month due to coronavirus pandemic but the Houthis rejected it, demanding the lifting of air and sea blockades in Sanaa and Hudaydah.

The human cost • In short, Yemen is experiencing the world's worst humanitarian crisis. • The UN says Yemen is on the brink of the world's worst famine in 100 years if the war continues • The UN had verifed the deaths of at least 7,700 civilians by March 2020, with most caused by Saudi- led coalition air strikes. • About 80% of the population - 24 million people - need humanitarian assistance and protection. • The United Nations has warned that the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic could "exceed the combined toll of war, disease, and hunger over the last fve years." • The UN also issued a desperate plea for fnancial aid saying its operations in the country, including vital health services, were severely underfunded. • The war has displaced more than 3.65 million from their homes. Why should this matter for the rest of the world? • What happens in Yemen can greatly exacerbate regional tensions. • It also worries the West because of the threat of attacks - such as from al-Qaeda or IS affliates - emanating from the country as it becomes more unstable. • The confict is also seen as part of a regional power struggle between Shia-ruled Iran and Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia. • Gulf Arab states - backers of President Hadi - have accused Iran of bolstering the Houthis fnancially and militarily, though Iran has denied this. • Yemen is also strategically important because it sits on a strait linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, through which much of the world's oil shipments pass.

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160.Provision of Act to suspend Internet • Context: As farmers’ protest turned violent in parts of Delhi on Republic Day, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued orders to temporarily suspend Internet in some areas under a rarely used provision of a British era Act. • The order issued under the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety Rules 2017) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 had been issued only twice- in Delhi on December 19 and 20, 2019, at the height of the CAA (Citizenship [Amendment] Act/National Register of Citizens (NRC) protests. • The rules framed in 2017 empower the Union and a State’s Home Secretary to pass directions to suspend the telecom services, including Internet, in an area “due to public emergency or public safety.” • Several farmer groups had been sitting in protest since November 26 at Delhi’s borders against the three farm laws passed by the government in September last.

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About the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 • It governs the use of wired and wireless telegraphy, telephones, teletype, radio communications and digital data communications. • It gives the Government of India exclusive jurisdiction and privileges for establishing, maintaining, operating, licensing and oversight of all forms of wired and wireless communications within Indian territory. • It also authorizes government law enforcement agencies to monitor/intercept communications and tap phone lines under conditions defned within the Indian Constitution. • Section 5(2) of the act allows central and state governments to prevent the transmission of messaging during a “public emergency or in the interest of public safety”, or “in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state”.

161.Election Commission Rolls Out Digital Voter Identity Card • Context: The Election Commission rolled out the electronic version of the voters' photo identity card which can be stored on mobile phones and downloaded on personal computers.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 140 T.me/SleepyClasses • The e-voter card, available in the PDF format which cannot be edited, can be self-printed and laminated by the voter when required. • With its formal launch electors in poll- bound West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry can use e-voter card on polling days. Elections are due in these states and the union territory in April-May. • The conventional ''PV'' physical voter card would continue to be in use. • The e-elector photo identity card is a non-editable digital version of the elector photo identity card and can be saved in facilities such as digital locker as well as can be printed in the PDF format. • The physical card takes time to print and reach the voter, and the idea is to provide faster delivery and easy accessibility to the document. • The Aadhaar card, Permanent Account Number (PAN) card and driving licence are available in digital mode. • Introduced in 1993, the elector photo identity cards are acceptable as proof of identity and address. • The online digital radio service will stream voter awareness programmes. It will be accessible through a link on the Election Commission of India website.

Radio Hello Voters • The programming style of Radio Hello Voters has been envisaged to match that of popular FM radio services. • It will provide information and education on the electoral processes through songs, drama, discussions, spots, stories of elections in Hindi, English and regional languages from all over the country, an offcial statement said.

Election Commission • The EC came into being on January 25, 1950, a day before India became a republic. • For the past few years, January 25 is also observed as National Voters' Day. • Article 324 of the Constitution provides Election Commission of India with the power of direction, superintendence, and control of elections to parliament, state legislatures, the offce of president of India and the offce of vice-president of India. • The Election Commission is an all-India body that is common to both the Central government and the State governments. • The commission does not deal with the elections to the Municipalities and Panchayats in the states. A separate State Election Commission is provided by the Constitution of India for the same. Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 141 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Since its inception in 1950 and till 15 October 1989, the election commission was as a one-member body with only the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) as its sole member. • On 16 October 1989, the voting age was changed from 21 to 18 years. So, two more election commissioners were appointed by the president in order to cope with the increased work of the election commission. • Since then, the Election Commission was a multi-member body which consisted of 3 election commissioners. • The chief and the two other election commissioners have the same powers and emoluments including salaries, which are the same as a Supreme Court judge. • In case of difference of opinion amongst the Chief Election Commissioner and/or two other election commissioners, the matter is decided by the Commission by a majority. • The offce is held by them for a term of 6 years or until they attain 65 years, whichever happens frst. They can also be removed or can resign at any time before the expiry of their term.

162.Agreement for fnancial support to STARS project • Context: An agreement for the fnancial support of the implementation of Strengthening Teaching- Learning and Results for States (STARS) project of Ministry of Education was signed between Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) and World Bank along with Ministry of Education. • The total project cost of STARS project is Rs 5718 crore with the fnancial support of World Bank amounting to US $ 500 million (approximately Rs. 3700 crore) and rest coming as State share from the participating States, over a period of 5 years. • STARS project would be implemented as a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme under Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), MOE. • Earlier Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of STARS project on 14th Oct 2020. Implementation • The project covers 6 States viz Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, • Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Odisha. • The identifed States will be supported for various interventions for improving the quality of education. • The Program envisions improving the overall monitoring and measurement activities in the Indian school education system through interventions in selected states. • STARS will draw on existing structure under SAMAGRA Shiksha with the DoSEL, MoE as the main implementing agency at the national level. • At the State level, the project will be implemented through the integrated State Implementation Society (SIS) for Samagra Shiksha. • The proposed World Bank support under STARS is primarily in the form of a results-based fnancing instrument called Program for Results (PforR). www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 142 T.me/SleepyClasses • This will ensure major reforms at the State level through a set of disbursement-linked indicators (DLIs). • A State Incentive Grant (SIG) will be used to encourage States to meet desired project outcomes. • The SIG matrix has been aligned with the intermediate outcome indicators as per the requirement of PforR instrument. • An Independent Verifcation Agency (IVA) will verify each result before disbursement of funds. Signifcance • STARS project will be instrumental in the implementation of various recommendations of National Education Policy 2020 i.e. Strengthening Early Childhood Education and Foundational Learning, Improving Learning Assessment System, ICT-enabled approaches in education, Teachers Development and Vocational education etc.

163.India Announces Pledge Of $1,50,000 To UN Peacebuilding Fund • Context: India has announced a pledge of USD 150,000 to activities of the Peacebuilding Fund this year and said that 2021 provides the international community with an opportunity to look at peacebuilding in a more focused manner, especially in the context of the COVID pandemic. • In 2020, the Peacebuilding Fund mobilised over USD 180 million, which is an important sign of the trust the fund has garnered over he years and its demonstrated ability to deliver in the most diffcult contexts.

UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) • The UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) is the organization’s fnancial instrument of frst resort to sustain peace in countries or situations at risk or affected by violent confict. • The PBF may invest with UN entities, governments, regional organizations, multilateral banks, national multi-donor trust funds or civil society organizations. From 2006 to 2017, the PBF has allocated $772 million to 41 recipient countries. • Since inception, 58 member states contributed to the Fund, 33 in the present 2017-2019 Investment Plan.

Objective • The Fund works across pillars and supports integrated UN responses to fll critical gaps; respond quickly and with fexibility to peace building opportunities; and catalyse processes and resources in a risk-tolerant fashion.

India and PBF • India believes that 2021 provides the international community with an opportunity to look at peacebuilding in the broader context and in a more focused manner, especially in the context of the COVID pandemic, which is threatening to erode the gains made over the years. • India continues to assist countries bilaterally in post-confict situations by providing substantial grants and soft loans, apart from

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 143 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • focusing on infrastructure, especially housing, health, on connectivity, providing livelihood to by confict, especially in agriculture and on grassroots level.

✓For example, Afghanistan, where India has undertaken projects in every province of the country. • India is also fulflling its commitment to making available its COVID19 vaccines to other countries and has already supplied more than six million doses to nine countries in phase one as grant assistance.

164.US-Taliban deal • Context: The US administration has said that it will review the US-Taliban deal to see if the Taliban are able to keep their end of the bargain. • The deal was signed in February 2020 and is meant for “Bringing Peace to Afghanistan” enabling the US and NATO to withdraw their troops, which has been a longstanding demand of the Taliban.

The agreement • The pact was signed between US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, and political head of the Taliban on February 29, 2020. • The agreement said [a] permanent and comprehensive ceasefre will be an item on the agenda of the intra-Afghan dialogue and negotiations. • The participants of intra-Afghan negotiations will discuss the date and modalities of a permanent and comprehensive ceasefre, including joint implementation mechanisms, which will be announced along with the completion and agreement over the future political roadmap of Afghanistan. • A joint declaration between the Afghan government (Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) and the US was issued in Kabul at the time.

Signifcance of this deal • Some of the important elements of the deal include the withdrawal of US troops along with bringing down NATO or coalition troop numbers within 14 months from when the deal was signed. • The main counter-terrorism commitment by the Taliban is that “Taliban will not allow any of its members, other individuals or groups, including al-Qaeda, to use the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its allies. • Other elements include removal of sanctions on Taliban leaders, releasing prisoners held by both sides and ceasefre. • The joint declaration is a symbolic commitment to the Afghanistan government that the US is not abandoning it. • This has also strengthened Pakistan, the Taliban’s benefactor, and the Pakistan Army and the ISI’s infuence appears to be on the rise. • However, the Afghan government was completely sidelined during the talks between the US and the Taliban. • Therefore, the future for the people of Afghanistan is uncertain and will depend on how the Taliban honours its commitments. What the Taliban want out of a political settlement is unclear. • In the past, they have denounced democracy as a western imposition on their vision of Afghanistan. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 144 T.me/SleepyClasses • They have dropped several hints of a return to the Taliban-run Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan of 1996-2001. • But they have signalled they may accept some of the democratic gains Afghanistan has made in the last two decades.

165.Government likely to postpone census to 2022 • Context: The Centre is on track to push the 2021 Census to 2022 on account of COVID-19. • The frst phase of the census — House Listing & Housing Census — and the updating of the National Population Register (NPR) were initially to be rolled out in some States on April 1, 2020, but were postponed due to the pandemic. • The exercise was to have been conducted in two phases — House Listing and Housing Census from April to September 2020 and Population Enumeration from February 9 to February 28, 2021. • The entire process had become controversial after Parliament approved the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in December 2019 that sought to give citizenship to persecuted minorities from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. • Citizenship Rules framed in the year 2003 hold that the NPR is the frst step towards compilation of National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) or NRC. • Data for an NPR was frst collected in 2010 and then updated in 2015. • The responsibility of conducting the decennial Census rests with the Offce of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India under Ministry of Home Affairs • The Census gives information on the following: ✓Demography

✓Economic Activity

✓Literacy and education

✓Housing and Household Amenities

✓Urbanization, Fertility and Morality

✓Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes.

✓Language

166.Schools under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan to be renamed after Subhas Chandra Bose. • Context: Schools and hostels under the Ministry of Education's Samagra • Shiksha scheme will now be renamed after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose • The Ministry of Education said the association of these schools with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will "act as an inspiration" to children and also motivate teachers, staff and administration to enable them to achieve high standards of excellence.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 145 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • The Ministry of Education under Samagra Shiksha provides fnancial assistance to states and union territories for opening and running of residential schools and hostels in hilly terrain, small and sparsely populated areas for children who are in need of shelter and care, in addition to the provision of regular schools. • The objective is to ensure universal enrolment and provide schooling facilities in areas, which are sparsely populated (mostly tribal areas) where opening of schools may not be viable, and for children in urban areas who are in need of care and protection • The residential facilities are also provided to child labour rescued, migrant children who belong to poor landless families, children without adult protection, separated from their families, internally displaced persons, and children from the areas of social and armed confict and natural calamities. • Preference is given to educationally backward blocks (EBBS), left wing extremism (LWE) affected districts, special focus districts (SFD) and the aspirational districts identifed by NITI Aayog • In these residential schools and hostels, in addition to regular school curriculum, interventions for all- round development of children such as provision of specifc skill training, physical self- defense, medical care, community participation, monthly stipend are also made available to children • A total of 1,063 residential facilities (383 residential schools and 680 hostels) have been sanctioned to states and union territories so far.

167.National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) Project • Context: Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, gave details on the status of implementation of National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) Project. • Paperless Assembly or e-Assembly is a concept involving of electronic means to facilitate the work of Assembly. • It enables automation of entire law-making process, tracking of decisions and documents, sharing of information. • NeVA aims to bring all the legislatures of the country together, in one platform thereby creating a massive data depository without having the complexity of multiple applications. • NeVA is a device neutral and member centric application created to equip them to handle diverse House Business smartly by putting entire information regarding member contact details, rules of procedure, list of business, notices, bulletins, bills, starred/unstarred questions and answers, papers laid, committee reports etc. in their hand-held devices/ tablets and equip all Legislatures/ Departments to handle it effciently. • Citizens would also gain access to this information at their fngertips. • NeVA will completely eliminate the process of sending out a notice/request for collection of data. • Through the cloud technology (Meghraj), data deployed can be accessed anywhere at any time • Further, live webcasting of Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TVs is also available on this application.

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• Doordarshan has already been enabled with provision to incorporate similar facility in respect of State Legislatures. • e-Vidhan is a Mission Mode Project (MMP) included in Digital India Programme and Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) is the ‘Nodal Ministry’ for its implementation in all the 31 States/ UTs with Legislatures. • The total project cost of the project is over 738 crores and funding of NeVA is on the pattern of Central Sponsored Scheme i.e. 60:40; and 90:10 for North East & hilly States and 100% for UTs. • The funding for e-Vidhan is provided by the MoPA and technical support by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). • A NeVA Kendra (e-Facilitation Center) will be setup at each location under a Nodal Offcer. • Himachal Pradesh is already the frst Digital Legislature of the country. • Other states like Punjab, Madhya Pradesh & Sikkim are also in various stages of transformation and their initiatives are highly commendable. • The Central Project Monitoring Unit (CPMU) under MoPA will be responsible for reviewing the fnancial and technical progress of the project. • The State will prepare detailed project report (DPR) and gap analysis report. • State level project monitoring committee will carry out the technical scrutiny and fnancial scrutiny of the DPR and after fnal approval of the same will be send to the MoPA for approval. • After the technical and fnancial scrutiny, funds will be released for project implementation. • The State Government will appoint a Secretary level offcer to be designated as the nodal offcer/ representative for e-Vidhan implementation in the State Legislature(s). • State Government will bear the funds required for running of e- Vidhan MMP after 3 years.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 147 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • The State Government will ensure capacity building for the effective implementation of e-Vidhan MMP module. • State Government/Legislature will undertake maintenance and replacement of ICT equipment after 3 years. • Release of next instalment would not be made in case the utilization certifcate and confrmation of release of funds by the state government of their share is not received by the CPMU.

168.The Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute • Context: There is a demand that Marathi-speaking areas in Karnataka should be integrated into Maharashtra. • It has also been suggested that until the Supreme Court gives is verdict on the dispute, the areas should be declared a Union Territory. • The matter has been in the Supreme Court since 2004 The dispute • This long smouldering inter-state dispute resurfaces from time to time, rather like the issue around the demand for the renaming of Aurangabad. • Maharashtra has staked claim to over 7,000 sq km area along its border with Karnataka, comprising 814 villages in the districts of Belagavi (Belgaum), Uttara Kannada, Bidar, and Gulbarga, and the towns of Belagavi, Karwar, and Nippani. • All these areas are predominantly Marathi-speaking, and Maharashtra wants them to be merged with the state. • The genesis of the dispute lies in the reorganisation of states along linguistic and administrative lines in 1956. • The erstwhile , a multilingual province, included the present-day Karnataka districts of Vijayapura, Belagavi, Dharwad, and Uttara Kannada. • In 1948, the Belgaum municipality requested that the district, having a predominantly Marathi- speaking population, be incorporated into the proposed Maharashtra state. • However, The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 made Belgaum and 10 talukas of Bombay State a part of the then Mysore State (which was renamed Karnataka in 1973). • While demarcating borders, the Reorganisation of States Commission sought to include talukas with a Kannada-speaking population of more than 50 per cent in Mysore. • But the opponents of the region’s inclusion in Mysore have maintained that in 1956, Marathi- speakers outnumbered Kannada- speakers in those areas. • Political parties in Maharashtra are united on the merger of the border areas with the state. The Mahajan Commission • The Mahajan Commission was set up by the Government of India in October 1966 to look into the border dispute. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 148 T.me/SleepyClasses • In its report submitted in August 1967, the Commission, led by former Chief Justice of India Mehr Chand Mahajan, recommended that 264 villages should be transferred to Maharashtra, and that Belgaum and 247 villages should remain with Karnataka. • Maharashtra rejected the report, calling it biased and illogical, while Karnataka welcomed it. • Despite demands from Karnataka, the Centre never implemented the recommendations of the report.

169.India falls to 53rd position in EIU's Democracy Index • India slipped two places to 53rd position in the 2020 Democracy Index's global ranking, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit, which said the "democratic backsliding" by authorities and "crackdowns" on civil liberties has led to a further decline in the country's ranking. • India is ranked higher than most of its neighbouring countries. • India's overall score fell from 6.9 in 2019 to 6.61 in the Index that provides a snapshot of the current state of democracy worldwide for 167 countries. • With mounting pressure on India’s democratic norms, India’s score fell from a peak of 7.92 in 2014 to 6.61 in 2020 and its global ranking slipped from 27th (in 2014) to 53rd as a result of democratic backsliding" under the current regime . • Norway topped The Economist Intelligence Unit's latest Democracy Index report titled "Democracy in sickness and in health?", with Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand and Canada making up the top fve. • Out of 167 countries, the Democracy Index classifes 23 countries as full democracies, 52 as fawed democracies, 35 as hybrid regimes and 57 as authoritarian regimes. India has been classifed as a 'fawed democracy' along with countries such as the U.S., France, Belgium and Brazil. • The EIU report said that in India and Thailand, "democratic backsliding by the authorities and crackdowns on civil liberties led to a further decline in their global rankings" • The authorities’ handling of the coronavirus pandemic led to a further erosion of civil liberties in 2020. • India was ranked 51st in the 2019 Democracy Index. • Among India's neighbours, while , at 68th rank, is classifed as a fawed democracy, Bangladesh (76), Bhutan (84) and Pakistan (105) are classifed in the 'hybrid regime' category. • Afghanistan is ranked 139th and classifed as an 'authoritarian regime' in the index. • The EIU report looks at the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on freedom and democracy around the world. • The Asia and Australasia region includes top-scoring New Zealand, which retained its fourth position in the global ranking (out of 167 countries), and persistent laggard North Korea at the bottom of the global ranking in 167th place. • The region’s overall score fell in 2020, but it now has fve “full democracies” with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan moving up the rankings compared with 2019.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 149 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Australia retains its “full democracy” status and high ranking (9th). Japan and South Korea both returned to the “full democracy” fold for the frst time since 2014. • Taiwan attained “full democracy” status for the frst time following a spectacular jump up the rankings. • Despite these upgrades, Asia’s average regional score deteriorated to its lowest level since 2013 as offcial measures taken to combat the coronavirus pandemic led to some of the most severe constraints on individual freedoms and civil liberties in the world . • China, Singapore and others went much further than the rest of the world in tracking and policing their citizens and locking them down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

170.AP HC sets aside SEC order restraining minister. • Context: The Andhra Pradesh High Court set aside the State Election Commission's order confning panchayat raj minister to his home. • The HC order, beyond any doubt, establishes that the SEC did not follow due process of law in the instant case. • Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner (SEC) had ordered that Panchayat Raj & Rural Development Minister to be confned to his residence till February 21 to prevent him from vitiating the process of gram panchayat elections. • This order has been struck down by the High Court. • The Minister has argued in the court that the impugned action was beyond the jurisdiction of the SEC and in violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

Powers of the State Election Commissioner • The SEC, in its order, said it was invoking its plenary powers under Article 243K of the Constitution and directing the DGP to “confne” the Minister to his residential premises until the completion of the local/gram panchayat elections. • The Constitution of India vests in the State Election Commission, consisting of a State Election Commissioner, the superintendence, direction, and control of the preparation of electoral rolls for, and the conduct of all elections to the • Panchayats and the Municipalities (Articles 243K, 243ZA). • The State Election Commissioner is appointed by the Governor. • As per article 243(C3) the Governor, when so requested by the State Election Commission, make available to the State Election Commission such staff as may be necessary for the discharge of the functions conferred on the SEC. • The provisions of Article 243K of the Constitution, which provides for setting up of SECs, are almost identical to those of Article 324 related to the EC. • The SECs enjoy the same status as the EC.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 150 T.me/SleepyClasses • In Kishan Singh Tomar vs Municipal Corporation of the City of Ahmedabad case, the Supreme Court directed that state governments should abide by orders of the SECs during the conduct of the panchayat and municipal elections, just like they follow the instructions of the EC during Assembly and Parliament polls. • Courts cannot interfere in the conduct of polls to local bodies and self-government institutions once the electoral process has been set in motion. • Article 243-O of the Constitution bars interference in poll matters set in motion by the SECs; Article 329 bars interference in such matters set in motion by the EC. • Only after the polls are over can the SECs’ decisions or conduct be questioned through an election petition.

171.Vijayanagara became Karnataka’s 31st district • Context: The Karnataka g o v e r n m e n t i s s u e d a notifcation demarcating boundaries of the newly- formed Vijayanagara district. • With Vijayanagara, the state now has 31 districts. • Named after the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire, the new district was carved out from Ballari under the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964. • Vijayanagara, located in H y d e r a b a d - K a r n a t a k a region, is famous for its UNESCO World Heritage s i t e s – H a m p i a n d Virupaksha Temple. • With Hosapete as its headquarters, Vijayanagara has six taluks – Hosapete, Kudligi, Hagaribommanahalli, Kotturu, Hoovina Hadagali, and Harapanahalli.

172. Urban Local Bodies (ULB) reforms • Context: Goa became the 6th State to complete Urban Local Bodies (ULB) reforms. Gets additional borrowing permission of Rs. 223 crores. • Goa has joined fve other States, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Rajasthan and Telangana, who have completed ULB reforms. • Reforms in ULBs and the urban utilities reforms are aimed at fnancial strengthening of ULBs in the States and to enable them to provide better public health and sanitation services to citizens.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 151 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Economically rejuvenated ULBs will also be able to create good civic infrastructure. • The set of reforms stipulated by the Department of Expenditure are: • The State will notify: ✓Floor rates of property tax in ULBs which are in consonance with the prevailing circle rates (i.e., guideline rates for property transactions)

✓Floor rates of user charges in respect of the provision of water-supply, drainage and sewerage which refect current costs/past infation. • The State will put in place a system of periodic increase in foor rates of property tax/ user charges in line with price increases. • The centre had identifed four citizen centric areas for reforms: ✓Implementation of One Nation One Ration Card System

✓Ease of doing business reform.

✓Urban Local body/ utility reforms

✓Power Sector reforms. • Till now, 17 States have carried out at least one of the four stipulated reforms and have been granted reform linked borrowing permissions. Out of these, 13 States have implemented the one nation one ration card system, 12 States have done ease of doing business reforms, 6 States have done local body reforms and 2 States have undertaken power sector reforms.

173.Law on draping Tricolour over body of a deceased • Context: Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit district have booked the mother and brother of a farmer who had died during the farmers’ agitation in Delhi, under The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, after his body was allegedly draped in the national fag. • Police in Pilibhit district have booked the family members under Section 2 of the Act. • It is being argued that cognizable offence under The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act can only be made out against someone who intentionally disrespects the fag.

Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act • The law, enacted on December 23, 1971, penalises the desecration of or insult to Indian national symbols, such as the National Flag, the Constitution, the National Anthem, and the Indian map, as well as contempt of the Constitution of India. • Section 2 of the Act, “Insults to Indian National Flag and Constitution of India”, says: “Whoever in any public place or in any other place within public view burns, mutilates, defaces, defles, disfgures, destroys, tramples upon or otherwise shows disrespect to or brings into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts) the Indian National Flag or the Constitution of India or any part thereof, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fne, or with both.”

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 152 T.me/SleepyClasses • As per the Act, “disrespect to the Indian National Flag means and includes”, among other things, “using the Indian National Flag as a drapery in any form whatsoever except in State funerals or armed forces or other para-military forces funerals”. (Explanation 4(d) under Section 2) • Section 3.22 of The Flag Code of India, 2002 (which deals with laws, practices and conventions that apply to the display of the national fag), reads: “The Flag shall not be used as a drapery in any form whatsoever except in State/Military/Central Paramilitary Forces funerals hereinafter provided.” • Section 3.58 says: “On occasions of State/Military/Central Paramilitary Forces funerals, the fag shall be draped over the bier or coffn with the saffron towards the head of the bier or coffn. The Flag shall not be lowered into the grave or burnt in the pyre.” • The fag can only be used during a funeral if it is accorded the status of a state funeral. • Apart from police and armed forces, state funerals are held when people who are holding or have held offce of President, Vice- President, Prime Minister, Cabinet Minister, Chief Minister pass away.

174.Columbia granted temporary legal status to Venezuelans • Context: Columbia recently announced that Venezuelans will have temporary protected status for the next ten years in what is being called a “historic” decision. The decision covers more than 1.7 million Venezuelans who have fed to Columbia in the last few years.

What is the move and what has been the response to it? • Under this programme, those Venezuelans who entered Columbia without permission before January 31 will be eligible for legalisation and those who already have legal status will have a decade to reapply for permission to stay in the country. • The temporary protection statute is for those Venezuelan migrants who are feeing dictatorship in their country. • This mechanism allows to have information to grant them immigration status and, in 10 years, the possibility of a resident visa. • As per Columbian law, foreigners cannot vote in electoral processes for the presidency and senate and can only participate in electoral processes for the mayor’s offce and the governor’s offce.

Why are Venezuelans feeing their country? • Venezuela is currently under the authoritarian rule, which is seen by many Venezuelans and members of the international community as illegitimate.

• But the country has been facing problems since the mid- when the global boom in commodities ended. As a result of this, the country slipped into an economic crisis and entered recession in 2014.

• Among Latin America’s poorest countries, its oil-dependent economy had grown signifcantly during the boom, and it had massive investments in social spending.

• After the economic collapse, the crime rate in the country doubled and infation multiplied in a situation that was made worse by Western sanctions.

• The country is currently riddled with, hyperinfation, food and medicine shortages and electricity blackouts.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 153 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • According to UN estimates, over 90 per cent of the country was living in poverty in April 2019 and an estimated 4.8 million Venezuelans have fed the country for other places in Latin America and for the Caribbean countries as of February 2020.

175.Pey Jal Survekshan 2021 • The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry launched a survey to collect data on drinking water in 10 cities under the Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban). • As part of the survey, ‘Pey Jal Survekshan’, data will also be collected on wastewater management and condition of water bodies in the cities. • A Pey Jal Survekshan will determine the distribution of water, wastewater, and water bodies in 10 cities: Patiala, Rohtak, Churu, Agra, Surat, Badlapur, Bhubaneswar, Tumkur, Kochi and Madurai. Five of these cities are water-scarce and fve are water abundant.

The Jal Jeevan Mission-Urban • It aims to create universal coverage of water supply in all 4,378 statutory towns as well as sewage management in 500 AMRUT cities.

Procedure • The scheme will be implemented frst through signing of MoUs between the Centre, states, and the urban local bodies. • The cities will then prepare city water balance plans, recycle/reuse plans and aquifer management plans. • The state will vet and approve the development of the project with a baseline assessment. • The ministry will also launch a Technology Sub-Mission, which will house a platform to monitor the outcomes of the scheme. Some funding will be dispersed only when outcomes are assessed. • An Urban Water Body Information System will display the survey fndings. The survey data will be digitally collected via interviews with citizens and municipal offcials as well as water sample collection and testing.

Funding • The proposed outlay for the scheme is Rs 2.87 lakh crore. Cities with over a million population will take up public-private partnerships to help fund at least 10 per cent of the total project fund. • The Centre will fund 90 per cent of the project for the Northeast and hill states, while union territories will receive 100 per cent funding from the Centre. • Cities will less than a lakh population will have 50 per cent Centre funding, cities between a lakh and 10 lakh population will receive a third Centre funding, and cities with over a million population will receive a quarter Centre funding.

176.Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) • The LASI is a full-scale national survey of scientifc investigation of the health, economic, and social determinants and consequences of population aging in India. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 154 T.me/SleepyClasses • The LASI is a nationally representative survey over 72,000 older adults age 45 and above across all states and union territories of India. • LASI is envisioned to be conducted every 3 years for the next 25 years. It is well-positioned to evaluate the effect of changing policies on the behavioural outcomes in India.

Elder Abuse • Abuse of the elderly is a growing international problem with several manifestations in different countries and cultures. • It is a fundamental violation of human rights and leads to several health and emotional problems. • The abuse can be classifed as physical, sexual, psychological or fnancial. • The ill-treatment is relatively more frequent among elderly women and those living in rural areas, according to the report. • A lot of women lose support as they lose their partners to old age, according to the survey. This group of people generally has no income source or economic activity.

Key Findings of the report • The pervasiveness of the practice among the elderly was proportionately more in Bihar (12 per cent), Karnataka (10 per cent), West Bengal (8 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (6 per cent), Chandigarh (6 per cent) and Chhattisgarh (6 per cent). • Among the elderly who felt ill-treated, 77.3 per cent complained of verbal/emotional ill-treatment that can harm their self-worth or emotional well-being. • Almost a ffth experienced physical ill-treatment (23.7 per cent); this occurs when a senior is wound due to hitting, kicking, pushing, slapping, burning, or other show of force. • Close to a quarter experienced economic exploitation (26.5 per cent), which means misuse of an elderly person’s money, property and assets. • More than half experienced neglect (52.6 per cent). • Among those who reported as experiencing ill-treatment, the victims of physical ill-treatment were the highest in Arunachal Pradesh (45 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (43 per cent), Tamil Nadu (40 per cent) and Puducherry (41 per cent). • At the same time, elderly respondents experiencing verbal / emotional ill-treatment was the highest in the states of Uttarakhand (100 per cent), Chhattisgarh (97 per cent), Tripura (94 per cent), Tamil Nadu (89 per cent), and Andhra Pradesh (85 per cent). • More elderly experienced economic exploitation in Chhattisgarh (53 per cent), Delhi (52 per cent), and Uttar Pradesh (48 per cent). • They experienced neglect more in southern states such as Andhra Pradesh (87 per cent), Telangana (68 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (69 per cent). • The obstacle of elder abuse cannot be adequately solved if older people’s essential needs for food, shelter, protection and access to healthcare are not met.

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177.Amendments to The Juvenile Justice Act • The Union Cabinet ushered in some major amendments to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015 in a bid to bring in clarity and also entrust more responsibilities on bureaucrats when it comes to implementing provisions of the law.

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act • It was introduced and passed in Parliament in 2015 to replace the Juvenile Delinquency Law and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children Act) 2000. • One of the main provisions of the new Act was allowing the trial of juveniles in confict with law in the age group of 16-18 years as adults, in cases where the crimes were to be determined. • The nature of the crime, and whether the juvenile should be tried as a minor or a child, was to be determined by a Juvenile Justice Board. • This provision received an impetus after the 2012 Delhi gangrape in which one of the accused was just short of 18 years, and was therefore tried as a juvenile. • The second major provision was with regards to adoption, bringing a more universally acceptable adoption law instead of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act (1956) and Guardians of the ward Act (1890) which was for Muslims, although the Act did not replace these laws. • The Act streamlined adoption procedures for orphans, abandoned and surrendered children and the existing Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has been given the status of a statutory body to enable it to perform its function more effectively.

The inclusion of serious crimes apart from heinous crimes • Most heinous crimes have a minimum or maximum sentence of seven years. • According to the Juvenile Justice Act 2015, juveniles charged with heinous crimes and who would be between the ages of 16-18 years would be tried as adults and processed through the adult justice system. • The amendment passed by the Union Cabinet this week has included for the frst time the category of “serious crimes” differentiating it from heinous crimes, while retaining heinous crimes. Both heinous and serious crimes have also been clarifed for the frst time, removing any ambiguity. • What this means is that for a juvenile to be tried for a heinous crime as an adult, the punishment of the crime should not only have a maximum sentence of seven years or more, but also a minimum sentence of seven years. • Signifcance of the provision: This provision has been made to ensure that children, as much as possible, are protected and kept out of the adult justice system. Heinous crimes with a minimum imprisonment of seven years pertain mostly to sexual offences and violent sexual crimes. • At present, with no mention of a minimum sentence, and only the maximum seven-year sentence, juveniles between the ages of 16-18 years could also be tried as adults for a crime like the possession and sale of an illegal substance, such as drugs or alcohol, which will now fall under the ambit of a “serious crime’’. • Expanding the purview of district and additional district magistrates www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 156 T.me/SleepyClasses ✓Women and Child Development Minister announced that district magistrates (DMs) along with additional district magistrates (ADMs) will monitor the functioning of various agencies under the JJ Act in every district.

✓This includes the Child Welfare Committees, the Juvenile Justice

✓Boards, the District Child Protection Units and the Special juvenile Protection Units. • The amendment has been brought in based on a report fled by the NCPCR in 2018-19 in which the over 7,000 Child Care Institutions (or children’s homes) were surveyed and found that 1.5 per cent do not conform to rules and regulations of the JJ Act and 29 per cent of them had major shortcomings in their management. • The NCPCR report also found that not a single Child Care Institution in the country was found to be 100 per cent compliant to the provisions of the JJ Act.

Child Care Institutions • CCIs can be government-run, government-aided, privately run or run through government, private or foreign funding. • These institutions, while falling under the CWC and the state child protection units had very little oversight and monitoring. • Even to receive a license, after an application was made, if the children’s home were to not receive a reply from the government within 3 months time, it would be “deemed registered’’ for a period of six months, even without government permission. The new amendment ensures that this can no longer happen and that no new children’s home can be opened without the sanction of the DM. DM’s are also responsible now for ensuring that CCIs falling in their district are following all norms and procedures. • The DM will also carry out background checks of CWC members, who are usually social welfare activists, including educational qualifcations, as there is no such provision currently to check if a person has a case of girl child abuse against him. • To hasten the process of adoption and ensure the swift rehabilitation of children into homes and foster homes, the amendment further provides that the DM will also now be in charge of sanctioning adoptions, removing the lengthy court process.

178.Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala appointed WTO Director- General • Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a Nigerian economist who has been serving the public domain as an expert on development and fnance. • The newly-appointed head of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala became the frst female and frst African to hold the role in its history. • Her dual citizenship with the United States also makes her the frst American to hold this position. WTO • The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 157 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratifed in their parliaments. • The goal is to ensure that trade fows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible. Role of director-general of the World Trade Organization • The director-general of the World Trade Organization is the offcer of the World Trade Organization (WTO) responsible for supervising and directing the organization's administrative operations. • Since the World Trade Organization's decisions are made by member states, through either a Ministerial Conference or through the General Council, the director-general has little power over matters of policy – the role is primarily advisory and managerial in nature. • The director-general supervises the WTO secretariat of about 700 staff and is appointed by WTO members for a term of four years.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 158 T.me/SleepyClasses 179.Haryana’s Quota Law • The Haryana government notifed a new law that requires 75% of private sector jobs in the state, up to a specifed salary slab, reserved for local candidate. • While constitutional guarantees for reservation has been limited to public employment, attempts to extend it to private sector are not new either.

Details • The Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2020 requires private companies to set aside for domiciles 75% of jobs up to a monthly salary of Rs 50,000 or as may be notifed by the government from time to time. • The Bill was passed by the state Assembly in November. • Now notifed, the law is applicable to all the companies, societies, trusts, limited liability partnership frms, partnership frms and any person employing 10 or more persons and an entity, as may be notifed by the government from time to time shall come under the ambit of this Act. • In July 2019, the Andhra Pradesh government had passed a similar law, which was challenged in court. The Andhra Pradesh High Court had made a prima facie observation that the move might be unconstitutional, but the challenge is yet to be heard on merits.

Legal Issues In Such Laws • First, the question of domicile reservation in jobs. • While domicile quotas in education are fairly common, courts have been reluctant in expanding this to public employment. • Last year, the Madhya Pradesh government decided to reserve all government jobs for “children of the state”, raising questions relating to the fundamental right to equality of citizens. • The second question is the issue of forcing the private sector to comply with reservations in employment. • For mandating reservation in public employment, the state draws its power from Article 16(4) of the Constitution, which says that the right to equality in public employment does not prevent the state from “making any provision for the reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens which, in the opinion of the State, is not adequately represented in the services under the State”. • The second question is the issue of forcing the private sector to comply with reservations in employment. • For mandating reservation in public employment, the state draws its power from Article 16(4) of the Constitution, which says that the right to equality in public employment does not prevent the state from “making any provision for the reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens which, in the opinion of the State, is not adequately represented in the services under the State”. • The Constitution has no manifest provision for private employment from which the state draws the power to make laws mandating reservation.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 159 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses Government’s Arguments In Bringing Such Laws • With public sector jobs constituting only a minuscule proportion of all jobs, legislators have talked about extending the legal protections to the private sector to really achieve the constitutional mandate of equality for all citizens. • Private industries use public infrastructure in many ways — from accessing land through subsidised allotment to receiving credit from public banks, tax exemptions and in many cases subsidies for fuel etc, the state has a legitimate right to require them to comply with the reservation policy. • A similar argument was made in requiring private schools to comply with the Right to Education Act, which the Supreme Court also upheld.

What about other countries? • Affrmative action is adopted in many countries in the context of race and gender. • For example, in the US, although there is no statutory requirement for employers to have quotas, courts can order monetary damages and injunctive relief, including “such affrmative action as may be appropriate”, for victims of discrimination. • This power comes from the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, colour, national origin, religion, and sex. • The Employment Equity Act in Canada also protects minority groups, especially aboriginals from discrimination in federally regulated industries, even in the private sector.

180.Government amends Insurance Ombudsman Rules • The Government notifed comprehensive amendments to the Insurance Ombudsman Rules, 2017, with a view to improve the working of the Insurance Ombudsman mechanism to facilitate resolution of complaints regarding defciencies in insurance services in a timely, cost-effective and impartial manner.

As per new rules • The amended rules have enlarged the scope of complaints to Ombudsmen from only disputes earlier to defciencies in service on the part of insurers, agents, brokers and other intermediaries. • Further, insurance brokers have been brought within the ambit of the Ombudsman mechanism, by empowering the Ombudsmen to pass awards against insurance brokers as well. • The timeliness and cost-effectiveness of the mechanism has been substantially strengthened. • Policyholders will now be enabled for making complaints electronically to the Ombudsman and a complaints management system will be created to enable policyholders to track the status of their complaints online. • The Ombudsman may use video-conferencing for hearings. • To enable access to relief through the Ombudsman mechanism even when there is vacancy in the offce of a particular Ombudsman, provision has been made for giving additional charge to another Ombudsman, pending the flling of the vacancy.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 160 T.me/SleepyClasses • A number of amendments have been made for securing the independence and integrity of the Ombudsman selection process, while also building in safeguards to secure the independence and impartiality of the appointed persons while serving as Ombudsmen. • Further, the selection committee will now include an individual with a track record of promoting consumer rights or advancing the cause of consumer protection in the insurance sector. • The Ombudsman mechanism was administered by the Executive Council of Insurers, which has been renamed as the Council for Insurance Ombudsmen.

Additional Learning • The Insurance Ombudsman scheme was created by Government of India for individual policyholders to have their complaints settled out of the courts system in a cost- effective, effcient and impartial way. • There are 17 Insurance Ombudsman in different locations and you can approach the one having jurisdiction over the location of the insurance company offce that you have a complaint against. • A complaint can be written to the Ombudsman about: ✓Any partial or total repudiation of claims by an insurer

✓Any dispute about premium paid or payable in terms of the policy

✓Any dispute on the legal construction of the policies as far as it relates to claims

✓Delay in settlement of claims

✓Non-issue of any insurance document to you after you pay your premium • You can approach the Ombudsman with complaint if: • You have frst approached your insurance company with the complaint and ✓They have rejected it

✓Not resolved it to your satisfaction or

✓Not responded to it at all for 30 days • Your complaint pertains to any policy you have taken in your capacity as an individual and the value of the claim including expenses claimed is not above Rs 30 lakhs.

181.Expressing views different from govt’s not sedition-SC • Context: The top court was hearing a plea related to speech on restoration of Article 370. • SC Observed that expression of a view which is dissent from a decision taken by the Central Government itself cannot be said to be seditious and dismissed a PIL over comments on abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.

Issues • There have been many incidents where “misguided” people have been termed “anti-national”.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 161 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Law enforcement agencies forget the fact that the sentiment could have been demonstrated through a slogan, a cheer, a statement, protest against a nuclear power project, or an innocuous post on social media. In all these cases, the state, across regimes, has fled charges of sedition. • Authorities often forget the fact that sedition can’t be applied to instances of criticism of the government or a political functionary. Words alone are not enough for such a charge to be slapped. Incitement to violence is the most crucial ingredient of the offence of sedition. • Going through the numbers that the National Crime Records Bureau puts out every year, it is clear that despite the rise in sedition cases, convictions happen in barely a few. • Even if these people are not convicted, the slapping of these charges is a way the governments over the years have been sending a strong message to its own people—obey or be ready to face consequences.

Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code: • Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Government established by law shall be punished with imprisonment for life or any shorter term, to which fne may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fne may be added, or with fne.

Observations made by the Supreme Court: • In 1962, the Supreme Court decided on the constitutionality of Section 124A in Kedar Nath Singh v State of Bihar. It upheld the constitutionality of sedition, but limited its application to “acts involving intention or tendency to create disorder, or disturbance of law and order, or incitement to violence”. It distinguished these from “very strong speech” or the use of “vigorous words” strongly critical of the government. • In 1995, the Supreme Court, in Balwant Singh v State of Punjab, acquitted persons from charges of sedition for shouting slogans such as “Khalistan Zindabaad” and “Raj Karega Khalsa” outside a cinema after Indira Gandhi’s assassination. Instead of looking at the “tendency” of the words to cause public disorder, the Court held that mere sloganeering which evoked no public response did not amount to sedition, for which a more overt act was required; the accused did not intend to “incite people to create disorder” and no “law and order problem” actually occurred.

182.Reservation of seats for SCs, STs and OBCs in local bodies • Context: The Supreme Court ruled that the number of seats reserved for Other Backward Classes and Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes in local bodies should not exceed 50% of the total seats. • The Supreme Court read down a section of the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961, which made it mandatory for the government to provide 27% reservation to OBCs in local bodies. • It was hearing petitions seeking that the section be declared as ultra vires to the Constitution. • The court noted that reservation for OBCs was only a “statutory dispensation to be provided by the State legislations” and not similar to the “constitutional” reservation related to the SCs/STs.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 162 T.me/SleepyClasses • The court explained that OBCs could be given reservation up to 27%, but subject to the limit of 50% total reservation for SCs/STs and OBCs. • The Supreme Court quashed notifcations issued by the Maharashtra Election Commission, which provided more than 50% reservation to OBCs and SC/STs in the Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis of Washim, Akola, Nagpur and Bhandara districts. • It cancelled the elections of OBC candidates in these districts in 2019 and 2020, and ordered fresh polls. • The court directed the government to comply with some conditions before providing reservation to OBCs in local bodies.

Court directed • to set up a dedicated Commission to conduct contemporaneous rigorous empirical inquiry into the nature and implications of the backwardness qua local bodies, within the State. • to specify the proportion of reservation required to be provisioned local body wise in light of recommendations of the Commission, so as not to fall foul of overbreadth. • in any case such reservation shall not exceed aggregate of 50 per cent of the total seats reserved in favour of SCs/STs/ OBCs taken together.

183.Government planning to establish All-India judicial service • Context: Union Minister of Law and Justice said that government was in discussion with Chief Justice of India to establish All-India judicial service (AIJS) drawing best minds via competitive examinations. • Idea is to have a cluster of groupings like Eastern India, Northern India, Southern India etc. • Also, there would be reservation to SC, ST, OBC for inclusive character of the judiciary. • AIJS refers to creating a centralized cadre of District Judges recruited centrally through an all-India examination and allocating to each State along the lines of the All India Services. • Currently, the appointments of District Judges and Subordinate Judiciary are done by the respective State governments. • AJIS was frst proposed by Law Commission in 1958. Later, provision of AIJS was included in Article 312 through 42nd amendment in 1976 on Swaran Singh Committee’s recommendations.

Benefts • Address judicial vacancies. • Enrich quality of justice by attracting best talent. • Unifed all-India judiciary, would strengthen idea of co- operative federalism. Concerns with AJIS: • States concerns as their right of recruitment is taken away. • Uniform national law may neglect local laws, custom. • Problem of language as currently proceedings upto court of District and Sessions Judge are conducted and judgments are written in local language.

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184.Freedom in the World 2021: Democracy under Siege • In the latest annual report on global political rights and liberties by Freedom House, a US government-funded NGO that studies political freedom around the world, India’s status as a democracy and free society has been downgraded to ‘partly free’.

Key Points • India’s freedom score, calculated using indicators of political rights and civil liberties, dropped four points to 67 this year, pulling the country down into the ‘Partly Free’ category.

Reasons: • The report mentioned that Muslims were disproportionately blamed for the spread of the virus and faced attacks by vigilante mobs. • Social media censorship and government’s shut down of Internet connectivity in Kashmir as well as on Delhi’s borders. (India’s Internet freedom score dropped to just 51) • Central government and its State-level allies continued to crack down on critics during the year. • Response to COVID-19 included a ham-fsted lockdown that resulted in the dangerous and unplanned displacement of millions of internal migrant workers. • Deterioration in political rights and civil liberties since new government elected in 2014, adding that the decline only accelerated after re-election in 2019. • Government’s intense crackdown on protesters opposed to a discriminatory citizenship law and arrested of dozens of journalists who aired criticism of the offcial pandemic response. • Indicators of the report: ✓Electoral Process

✓Political Pluralism and Participation

✓Functioning of Government

✓Freedom of Expression and Belief

✓Associational and Organizational Rights

✓Rule of Law

✓Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights

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Other Countries performance

185.International North South Transport Corridor • India wants ✓Chabahar port to be included in the 13-nation International North

✓South Transport Corridor that extends from India to Russia, and • expand INSTC membership by including Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. • The location of the Chabahar port has strategic advantage and high potential to provide connectivity among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and other Commonwealth of Independent States countries, and boost trade.

✓India has made the above demands at the 3-day “Maritime India” summit. • The International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.

Objective • The objective of the corridor is to reduce the time taken, costs incurred and increase trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan,

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Bandar Anzali, etc. • There are 13 member states of the INSTC project.

Signifcance • When fully operational, the INSTC could be the fastest transit route between Mumbai and St Petersburg: in theory, it will reduce the distance on the current maritime route through the Suez Canal from 16,000 km to 7,200 km and bring down the travel time between South Asia and Northern Europe from 6o days to 30, signifcantly driving down transport costs. • On a continental level, the INSTC has the potential to be the north-south counterpart to China's east- west (Yiwu to Duisburg) New Silk Road project. • There is also a possibility that further expansion in the future could see it connect Africa to the Americas through Asia.

186.India reaffrms Lanka defence ties • Context: With the participation of the Indian Air Force Chief and 23 aircraft in the three-day event in Colombo to mark the 70th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), India sought to reaffrm its strong defence cooperation with Sri Lanka. • The last time Indian aircraft took part in such an event was in 2001, on the occasion of the SLAF’s 50th year. • During Sri Lanka’s over three decade-civil war, India has played a crucial role, politically and at times, using its military. • The controversial Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was present in Sri Lanka. • India also launched ‘Operation Poomalai’ of 1987 — when the Indian Air Force dropped food supplies in Jaffna. • In Sri Lanka’s post-war era, Indo-Lanka military partnership has focused mostly on training and capacity building. • About 1,200 Sri Lankan military personnel are trained in India every year. • In 2020, Indian Navy and Coast Guard personnel helped the Sri Lankan Navy in a crucial fre-fghting operation, when an oil tanker went up in fames, off the island’s east coast. • Sri Lanka’s location in the Indian Ocean region as an island State has been of strategic geopolitical relevance to several major powers.

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 166 T.me/SleepyClasses • Some examples that highlight Western interests in Sri Lanka’s strategic location are the British Defence and External Affairs Agreement of 1948, and the Maritime Agreement with USSR of 1962. • Post 2015, Sri Lanka still relies heavily on China for Port city project and for continuation of Chinese funded infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka. • China’s string of pearl’s strategy is aimed at encircling India to establish dominance in the Indian Ocean. • Sri Lanka’s location can serve both commercial and industrial purposes and be used as a military base. • Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port is the 25th busiest container port in the world and the natural deep water harbor at Trincomalee is the ffth largest natural harbour in the world. • Port city of Trincomalee was the main base for Eastern Fleet and British Royal Navy during the Second World War.

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187.Supreme Court asks government to respond on plea for district medical boards • Context: The Supreme Court Has Asked The Government To Respond To A Plea To Constitute District Medical Boards With Expert Gynaecologists And Even Paediatricians To Help Rape Survivors. • The court also said that if a woman is raped and is pregnant, she must be told about her legal rights - The court was hearing the case of a 14-year-old rape survivor seeking an abortion. • However, following a report from a medical board, to which the top court had referred her, she withdrew her plea for termination of pregnancy. • This case highlighted the need for setting up medical boards in every district so that rape survivors could beneft from early medical intervention and not be forced to go through more trauma. • There has been a strong push against the law, which imposes severe restrictions on the reproductive choice of a woman, her personal liberty and bodily autonomy. • Several affected women, even rape survivors, have approached the apex court against the 1971 law. • So far, the apex court has dealt with pleas for medical termination of pregnancy on a case-to- case basis. • Section 3 of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971 prohibits termination of pregnancy after 20 weeks. • An exception to the law is made if a registered medical practitioner certifes to a court that the continued pregnancy is life-threatening for the mother. • Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 is passed by the Lok Sabha and it will be discussed in the Rajya Sabha. • It seeks to extend the upper limit for permitting abortions from 20 weeks to 24 under special circumstances. • The Supreme Court had several years ago admitted a petition specifcally seeking the decriminalisation of abortion. • The petition had contended that the “right to exercise reproductive choice is the right to choose whether to conceive and carry pregnancy to its full term or to terminate it. • This choice is at the core of one’s privacy, dignity, personal autonomy, bodily integrity, self determination and right to health recognised by Article 21 of the Constitution.”

www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 168 T.me/SleepyClasses • The Bill allows abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy for certain “special categories of women” which will be defned by the states in the amendments to the MTP rules. These categories will include ‘vulnerable women’ including rape survivors, victims of incest, those with disabilities and minors. The bill also ensures that women get access to safe and legal abortion services on therapeutic, eugenic, humanitarian grounds. • MTP covered earlier in detail in previous pre cures. Video to watch : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGs1TxVejzs

188.Govt. staff should not be appointed as Election Commissioners, says Supreme Court • Context: The Supreme Court has held that independent persons and not bureaucrats should be appointed State Election Commissioners. • Supreme Court’s Observations/Judgement On Independence Of The State Election Commissioners: ✓Independent persons and not bureaucrats should be appointed State Election Commissioners.

✓This is necessary because giving government employees the additional charge of State Election Commissioners is a “mockery of the Constitution”.

✓The States should appoint independent persons as Election Commissioners all along the length and breadth of the country.

✓The court said that it was “disturbing” to see government employees manning State Election Commissions as an add-on job.

✓Besides, under the constitutional mandate, it is the duty of the State to not interfere with the functioning of the State Election Commission.

✓The Constitution of India vests in the State Election Commission, consisting of a State Election Commissioner, the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls for, and the conduct of all elections to the Panchayats and the Municipalities (Articles 243K, 243ZA).

Powers And Removal Of State Election Commissioner • The State Election Commissioner has the status, salary and allowance of a Judge of a High Court and cannot be removed from offce except in like manner and on the like grounds as a Judge of a High Court.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 169 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • The provisions of Article 243K of the Constitution, which provides for setting up of SECs, are almost identical to those of Article 324 related to the EC. In other words, the SECs enjoy the same status as the EC. • In 2006, the Supreme Court emphasised the two constitutional authorities enjoy the same powers. • In Kishan Singh Tomar vs Municipal Corporation of the City of Ahmedabad, the Supreme Court directed that state governments should abide by orders of the SECs during the conduct of the panchayat and municipal elections, just like they follow the instructions of the EC during Assembly and Parliament polls. • Although state election commissioners are appointed by the state governors and can only be removed by impeachment, in the last two decades many have struggled to assert their independence. • One of the most widely remembered cases of confrontation happened in Maharashtra in 2008 -Then state election commissioner Nand Lal was arrested and sent to jail for two days in March 2008 after the Assembly found him guilty of breach of privilege in an alleged confict over his jurisdiction and powers. • The State Election Commissioner is appointed by the Governor. 189.Supreme Court seeks govt.’s response on plea against Places of Worship Act • Context: The Supreme Court has asked the government to respond to a plea challenging the Places of Worship Act enacted in 1991 which freezes the status of places of worship as it was on August 15, 1947 • News - The Hindu Explains | What is the debate around the Places of Worship Act all about? • Source - https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/the-hindu-explains-what-is-the-debate-around- the- places-of-worship-act-all-about/article34120018.ece • A petition has been fled in the court terming the law as “arbitrary, irrational and retrospective”. • The cut-off date (August 15, 1947) as per the law bars Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs from approaching courts to “re-claim” their places of worship which were “invaded” and “encroached” upon by “fundamentalist barbaric invaders”. • The petitioner also said the Sections of the Act that dealt with the bar on legal claims were against the principles of secularism.

Aim of the Act • The aim of the Act was to freeze the status of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947. • It was also to provide for the maintenance of the religious character of such a place of worship as on that day. • It was intended to pre-empt new claims by any group about the past status of any place of worship and attempts to reclaim the structures or the land on which they stood. • It was hoped that the legislation would help the preservation of communal harmony in the long run. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 170 T.me/SleepyClasses • The Act declares that the religious character of a place of worship shall continue to be the same as it was on August 15, 1947. • It says no person shall convert any place of worship of any religious denomination into one of a different denomination or section. • It declares that all suits, appeals or any other proceedings regarding converting the character of a place of worship, which are pending before any court or authority on August 15, 1947, will abate as soon as the law comes into force. No further legal proceedings can be instituted. • These provisions will not apply to: ✓Ancient and historical monuments and archaeological sites and remains that are covered by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.

✓A suit that has been fnally settled or disposed of; and any dispute that has been settled by the parties or conversion of any place that took place by acquiescence before the Act commenced.

✓The Act also does not apply to the place of worship commonly referred to as Ram Janmabhoomi- Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. This law will have overriding effect over any other law in force.

What Court Said • The court described the law as one that preserved secularism by not permitting the status of a place of worship to be altered after Independence. • In words of caution against further attempts to change the character of a place of worship, the fve- judge Bench said, “Historical wrongs cannot be remedied by the people taking the law in their own hands”. • In preserving the character of places of public worship, Parliament has mandated "In no uncertain terms that history and its wrongs shall not be used as instruments to oppress the present and the future.”

Why In News Now • Some Hindu organisations have been laying claim to the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi and the Shahi Idgah in Mathura. • Civil suits have been fled in a Mathura court seeking the shifting of the 17th-century mosque from the spot that some claim is the birthplace of Lord Krishna. • Any order that strikes down or dilutes the 1991 law on the status of places of worship is likely to infuence the outcome of such proceedings.

190.One Nation One Ration Card System • Context: The ministry of fnance has announced that 17 states have successfully implemented ‘one nation, one ration card system’ after Uttarakhand became the latest state to complete the operationalisation of reforms. • One Nation One Ration Card (RC) will ensure all benefciaries especially migrants can access PDS across the nation from any PDS shop of their own choice.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 171 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • No poor person will be deprived of getting subsidised foodgrains under the food security scheme when they shift from one place to another. • It also aims to remove the chance of anyone holding more than one ration card to avail benefts from different states. • T h i s w i l l p r ov i d e f r e e d o m t o t h e benefciaries as they will not be tied to any one PDS shop and reduce their dependence on shop owners and curtail instances of corruption.

Format of ‘one nation, one ration card’: • A standard format for ration card has been prepared after taking into account the format used by different states. • For national portability, the state governments have been asked to issue the ration card in bi-lingual format, wherein besides the local language, the other language could be Hindi or English. • The states have also been told to have a 10-digit standard ration card number, wherein frst two digits will be state code and the next two digits will be running ration card numbers. • Besides this, a set of another two digits will be appended with ration card number to create unique member IDs for each member of the household in a ration card.

191.Annual democracy report • Context: Fifth annual democracy report, titled ‘Autocratisation goes viral’, has been released by Sweden’s organisation Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute. • The report summarises the state of democracies of the world against the backdrop of developments that have taken place over the past decade. • Highlights of the report: ✓ India’s position has been downgraded from “the world’s largest democracy” to an “electoral autocracy”.

✓ Reasons behind the downgrade: “muzzling” of the media, and overuse of defamation and sedition laws.

✓ In censorship, India is now as autocratic as is Pakistan, and worse than both its neighbours Bangladesh and .

✓The use of defamation “frequently used to silence journalists” and the use of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) have placed constraints on civil society and gone against the Constitution’s commitment to secularism. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 172 T.me/SleepyClasses ✓Universities and authorities have also punished students and activists in universities engaging in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).”

✓However, the report notes that civil society is being increasingly muzzled while organisations aligned with the “Hindutva movement” have gained freedom.

At global level • Liberal democracies have diminished over the past decade from 41 countries to 32 countries. • The global decline during the past 10 years is steep and continues in 2020, especially in the Asia- Pacifc region, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America • The level of democracy enjoyed by the average global citizen in 2020 is down to levels last found around 1990. • “Electoral autocracies” remain the most popular regime type, and along with closed autocracies, number 87 states, home to 68 per cent of the world’s population. • Several G20 nations such as Brazil, India, Turkey, and the United States of America are part of this drift. • The number of democratising countries has dropped by almost half to 16, hosting a mere 4 per cent of the global population.

192.No-trust vote • Context: The no-confdence motion moved by the opposition against the state government in Haryana. • Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly and it remains in offce till it enjoys the confdence of majority. • Therefore, a motion of no-confdence is moved to remove the council of ministers and to remove the government from the offce. • According to the Article 75 of the Indian Constitution, council of ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha and as per Article 164, the council of ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the State. • Lok Sabha/Legislative Assembly can remove the ministry from the offce by passing a no- confdence motion.

Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 173 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • Lok Sabha Rule 198 specifes the procedure for a motion of no-confdence. • Against the Government, a motion of No-Confdence Motion can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha under rule 198. • There should be a minimum of 50 members to accept the motion. If not, then the motion fails. • Before 10 am, any member may provide written notice. • The motion of no-confdence is read by the Speaker within the House and asks all those favouring the motion to rise. • If 50 MPS are there in favour then the Speaker could allot a date for discussing the motion. But this has to be done within 10 days. • Then, the motion is put to vote and can be conducted through Voice Vote, Division of Votes or other means. • If the government loses a confdence motion or if the no-confdence motion is accepted by the majority then the government has to resign. • It can be moved only in the Lok Sabha or state assembly as the case may be. It cannot be moved in the Rajya Sabha or state legislative council. • The no-confdence motion is moved against the entire Council of Ministers and not individual ministers or private members.

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