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Officers Pulse O F F I C E R S ' P U L S E Issue no. 37 | 7th February to 13th February, 2021 C O V E R A G E . The Hindu The Indian Express PIB Rajya Sabha TV All India Radio A T A G L A N C E & I N D E P T H . Polity and Social Issues Economy International Relations Environment Science and Tech Culture CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEKLY THE PULSE OF UPSC AT YOUR FINGER TIPS 1 News @ a glance POLITY ................................................................................. 3 5) Alcohol and DNA ..................................................... 18 1) Privilege Motion ........................................................ 3 DEFENCE .......................................................................... 20 2) FSSAI slashes limit for trans fat levels in 1) INS Viraat.................................................................... 20 foods ................................................................................. 4 2) Ka-226T utility chopper ..................................... 20 3) KIRAN Mental Health Rehabilitation ART & CULTURE ........................................................... 21 Helpline........................................................................... 4 1) Red Fort ....................................................................... 21 4) RTI & Lokpal ................................................................ 5 2) Padmanabhaswamy Temple ............................ 21 ENVIRONMENT ............................................................... 8 3) Tholpavakoothu ...................................................... 22 1) Water scarcity likely in the Himalayan PIB ANALYSIS................................................................. 24 catchment if warming continues ....................... 8 1) Janani Suraksha Yojana ....................................... 24 2) Brookesia nana .......................................................... 8 2) Formation and Promotion of Farmer 3) Punjab releases 23 captive-bred gharials in Producer Organizations (FPOs)....................... 24 Beas reserve ................................................................. 9 3) Soil Health Card ....................................................... 25 4) TN gets its fifth tiger reserve in 4) Special Economic Zones Act,2005 ................. 25 Srivilliputhur - Megamalai .................................... 9 5) Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban ECONOMY ........................................................................ 11 Transformation (AMRUT) .................................. 26 1) Over one crore MSMEs registered in 6) SANKALP .................................................................... 27 country over period of 5 years ........................ 11 7) World Sustainable Development Summit 2) Currency swap facility........................................ 12 2021 ............................................................................... 27 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS .............................. 14 8) FASTag ......................................................................... 28 1) UN Human Rights Council ................................. 14 9) National Monsoon Mission ................................ 28 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ................................ 15 10) Swadhar Greh Scheme ...................................... 29 1) Tumour Models....................................................... 15 11) CARINGS Portal .................................................... 30 2) Hope Probe................................................................ 15 12) Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav ....................... 30 3) Cloud solutions ....................................................... 15 4) Glaciers and Glacial lakes .................................. 16 For free learning, visit www.officerspulse.com 2 News in Depth AIR NEWS ........................................................................ 31 5) Fine-tuning the State-of-the app 1) National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) ..... 31 technology .................................................................. 38 2) Kisan Credit Card scheme ................................. 31 6) Denying women the right over their bodies39 3) Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana ............ 32 INDIAN EXPRESS EXPLAINED............................... 41 4) Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya 1) In the oceans, the volume is rising like Bharat Abhiyan) ...................................................... 32 never before ............................................................... 41 THE HINDU EDITORIALS ........................................ 34 2) What is Einsteinium, the mysterious 1) The cost of Internet shutdowns ..................... 34 element named after Albert Einstein? ......... 41 2) The long and the short of India’s 3) Move to privatise banks: Why the Naypyitaw dilemma .............................................. 35 proposal? What are the concerns? ................. 42 3) Troubled mountains ............................................. 36 4) The Farakka ‘lock’ and hilsa, why there is 4) A Budget not for the environment ................ 37 both hope and apprehension ............................ 42 For free learning, visit www.officerspulse.com 3 News @ a glance POLITY 1) Privilege Motion . It is a breach of privilege and contempt of What are Parliamentary privileges? the House to make speeches or to print . Parliamentary privileges are certain rights or publish false information reflecting on and immunities enjoyed by members of the character or proceedings of the House, Parliament, individually and collectively, so or its Committees, or on any member of the that they can “effectively discharge their House for or relating to his character or functions”. When any of these rights and conduct as a legislator. immunities are disregarded, the offence is Procedure to be followed called a breach of privilege and is . The Legislative Assembly Speaker or punishable under law of Parliament. Legislative Council Chairman constitutes a . It should be noted that the parliamentary Privileges Committee consisting of 15 privileges do not extend to the President members in the Assembly and 10 members who is also an integral part of the in the Council. Parliament . The members to the committee are Constitutional provisions nominated based on the party strength in . The powers, privileges and immunities the Houses. of either House of the Indian Parliament . The Speaker or Chairman first decides on and of its Members and committees are the motions. If the privilege and contempt laid down in Article 105 of the are found prima facie, then the Speaker or Constitution. Chairman will forward it to the Privileges . Article 194 deals with the powers, Committee by following the due procedure. privileges and immunities of the State . The Committee, which has quasi-judicial Legislatures, their Members and their powers, will seek an explanation from all committees. the concerned, will conduct an inquiry and What constitutes a breach of this privilege? will make a recommendation based on the . While the Constitution has accorded findings to the state legislature for its special privileges and powers to consideration. parliamentarians and legislators to Punishment maintain the dignity and authority of the . If the Committee finds the offender guilty Houses, these powers and privileges are of breach of privilege and contempt, it can not codified. recommend the punishment. The . Thus, there are no clear, notified rules to punishment can include communicating decide what constitutes a breach of the displeasure of the state legislature to privilege, and the punishment it the offender, summoning the offender attracts. before the House and giving a warning, and . Any act that obstructs or impedes either even sending the offender to jail. House of the state legislature in . In the case of the media, press facilities of performing its functions, or which the state legislature may be withdrawn, obstructs or impedes any Member or and a public apology may be sought. officer of such House in the discharge of his Why in News? duty, or has a tendency, directly or . The Bharatiya Janata Party has moved a indirectly, to produce such results is privilege notice against Trinamool treated as breach of privilege. Congress MP Mahua Moitra, days after her comments against a former chief justice of India in Lok Sabha. For free learning, visit www.officerspulse.com 4 . In December 2020, FSSAI (Food Safety and 2) FSSAI slashes limit for trans fat Standards Authority of India) capped the levels in foods amount of trans fatty acids in oils and fats to 3% for 2021 and 2% by 2022 from the Natural fats current permissible limit of 5% through an . All natural fats and oils are a combination amendment to the Food Safety and of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on saturated fatty acids or trans fatty acids Sales) Regulations. (TFA). The revised regulation applies to edible . Our body needs the first two categories refined oils, vanaspati (partially of ‘healthy’ fats as apart from being a hydrogenated oils), margarine, bakery major source of energy, they help absorb shortenings, and other mediums of cooking some vitamins and minerals and build cell such as vegetable fat spreads and mixed fat membranes and the sheaths surrounding spreads. nerves. Why in News? . These fats are free-flowing, unlike . The FSSAI has restricted the permissible saturated fatty acids or trans fats, which amount of industrial Trans Fatty Acid are considered harmful as they clog (TFA) in food
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