April -2018 UPSC/IAS Current Affairs www.iasjnana.com 1 9916399276 April -2018 UPSC/IAS Current Affairs „Central Vigilance Commission‟ Give directions to the Delhi Special Police (GS2: Statutory body) Establishment (CBI) for superintendence Issue: The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) insofar as it relates to the investigation of has urged the Prime Minister‘s Office to bring offences under the Prevention of Corruption private sector banks under its watch, citing the fact Act, 1988 – section 8(1)(b); that they have been involved in many recent To inquire or cause an inquiry or investigation instances of malfeasance. to be made on a reference by the Central Current situation Government – section 8(1)(c); Vigilance officers in all State-owned public sector To inquire or cause an inquiry or investigation banks are required to report irregularities and to be made into any complaint received against possible wrongdoing to the CVC, India‘s apex any official belonging to such category of body for checking corruption in the government. officials specified in sub-section 2 of Section 8 Private sector banks are out of the CVC‘s of the CVC Act, 2003 – section 8(1)(d); purview, but are subjected to statutory audits from Review the progress of investigations the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). conducted by the DSPE into offences alleged to Empowering CVC will provide a strong deterrent have been committed under the Prevention of against those willing to engage in scams such as Corruption Act, 1988 or an offence under the Punjab National Bank scam Cr.PC – section (8)(1)(e); About CVC Review the progress of the applications pending The Central Vigilance Commission was set up by with the competent authorities for sanction of the Government in February,1964 on the prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption recommendations of the Committee on Act, 1988 – section 8(1)(f); Prevention of Corruption, headed by Shri K. Tender advice to the Central Government and Santhanam, to advise and guide Central its organizations on such matters as may be Government agencies in the field of vigilance. referred to it by them – section 8(1) (g); CVC is conceived to be the apex vigilance Exercise superintendence over the vigilance institution, free of control from any executive administrations of the various Central authority, monitoring all vigilance activity under Government Ministries, Departments and the Central Government and advising various Organizations of the Central Government – authorities in Central Government organizations in section 8(1)(h); planning, executing, reviewing and reforming Shall have all the powers of a Civil court while their vigilance work. conducting any inquiry – section 11; Consequent upon promulgation of an Ordinance Respond to Central Government on mandatory by the President, the Central Vigilance consultation with the Commission before Commission has been made a multi member making any rules or regulations governing the Commission with "statutory status" with effect vigilance or disciplinary matters relating to the from 25th August, 1998 persons appointed to the public services and The Commission shall consist of: posts in connection with the affairs of the A Central Vigilance Commissioner - Union or to members of the All India Services Chairperson; – section 19. Not more than two Vigilance Commissioners - The Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) is Members; the Chairperson and the Vigilance Roles & Functions Commissioners (Members) of the Committee, Exercise superintendence over the functioning on whose recommendations, the Central of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (CBI) Government appoints the Director of insofar as it relates to the investigation of Enforcement – section 25. offences under the Prevention of Corruption The Committee concerned with the Act, 1988; or an offence under the Cr.PC for appointment of the Director of Enforcement is certain categories of public servants – section also empowered to recommend, after 8(1)(a); consultation with the Director of Enforcement www.iasjnana.com 2 9916399276 April -2018 UPSC/IAS Current Affairs appointment of officers to the posts of the is, in the opinion of the President, unfit to level of Deputy Director and above in the continue in office by reason of infirmity of Directorate of Enforcement – section 25; mind or body; or The Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) is has acquired such financial or other also the Chairperson and the Vigilance interest as is likely to affect prejudicially Commissioners (Members) of the Committee his functions as a Central Vigilance empowered to recommend after consultation Commissioner or a Vigilance with Director (CBI), appointment of officers to Commissioner the post of the level of SP and above except Source: Director and also recommend the extension or http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cvc- curtailment of tenure of such officers in the wants-to-keep-an-eye-on-private- DSPE (CBI) - Section 26 and Section 4C of banks/article23409181.ece DSPE Act, 1946 Appointment of CVC „Karnataka Money Lenders act, 1961‟ The Central Vigilance Commissioner and the (GS2: Government policies and issues arising of Vigilance Commissioners shall be appointed by their design and implementation) the President on recommendation of a Committee Issue: The State government has won a 20-year- consisting of the Prime Minister (Chairperson), long legal battle against moneylenders and the Minister of Home Affairs (Member) and the pawnbrokers as the Supreme Court (SC) has now Leader of the Opposition in the House of the termed these trades ―definitely usurious People (Member). businesses‖ and held that the ―legislature has the Removal power to impose onerous conditions to restrict or The Central Vigilance Commissioner or any even discourage people from entering into such Vigilance Commissioner can be removed from his businesses‖. office only by order of the President on the ground Significance of the judgment of proved misbehaviour or incapacity after the The SC made these observations while upholding Supreme Court, on a reference made to it by the constitutional validity of provisions in President, has, on inquiry, reported that the amendments made in 1998 to the Karnataka Central Vigilance Commissioner or any Vigilance Money Lenders Act, 1961, and the Karnataka Commissioner, as the case may be, ought to be Pawnbrokers Act, 1961, denying interest on the removed. The President may suspend from office, security amount deposited by moneylenders and and if deem necessary prohibit also from attending pawnbrokers annually while obtaining or the office during inquiry, the Central Vigilance renewing licenses to carry out these trades. And it Commissioner or any Vigilance Commissioner in also gives power to legislature to regulate this kind respect of whom a reference has been made to the of business Supreme Court until the President has passed Source: orders on receipt of the report of the Supreme http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka Court on such reference. The President may, by /state-wins-battle-against-moneylenders- order, remove from office the Central Vigilance pawnbrokers/article23408820.ece Commissioner or any Vigilance Commissioner if the Central Vigilance Commissioner or such „Primary health care sector in India‟ Vigilance Commissioner, as the case may be: (GS2: Issues related to Health) is adjudged an insolvent; or Issue: According to information provided by the has been convicted of an offence which, in Union Minister of State for Health and Family the opinion of the Central Government, Welfare of the total 25,650 primary health centres involves moral turpitude; or (PHCs) in the country, 15,700 (61.2%) function engages during his term of office in any with one doctor each. As many as 1,974 (7.69%) paid employment outside the duties of his PHCs do not have even a single doctor. office; or What the regulation states for PHC in India? www.iasjnana.com 3 9916399276 April -2018 UPSC/IAS Current Affairs As per to the Indian Public Health Standards victims of the major accidents and riots. (IPHS) guidelines, each 24/7 PHC should have a Assistance from PMNRF is also rendered, to minimum of two doctors apart from a desirable partially defray the expenses for medical treatment third, apart from three nurses, one lab technician like heart surgeries, kidney transplantation, cancer and one pharmacist. treatment and acid attack etc. The fund consists How the states perform? entirely of public contributions and does not get Among the big States, where the numbers of any budgetary support. The corpus of the fund is PHCs are more than 600, Gujarat tops the list with invested with scheduled commercial banks in 100% of its 1,392 centres having one doctor each. various forms. Disbursements are made with the Among the better performing States are Tamil approval of the Prime Minister. PMNRF has not Nadu and Maharashtra, where only 14.4% of been constituted by the Parliament. The fund is 1,362 PHCs and 23.8% of 1814 PHCs, recognized as a Trust under the Income Tax Act respectively, have one doctor each. and the same is managed by Prime Minister or In Karnataka, 1,973 of the 2,359 PHCs in the State multiple delegates for national causes. PMNRF have just one doctor each. Karnataka stands fifth operates from the Prime Minister‘s Office (in terms of PHCs with single doctor) with 83.6%, Source: followed by Kerala with 81.7% https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/mp- Significance of PHC tendulkar-donates-entire-salary-to-pms-relief- The closer health facilities are to people, the more fund/articleshow/63565916.cms likely they are to access it and the less expensive they will be. Primary health centres are the first „Insolvency and Bankruptcy code set for major point of contact for patients. They are the core of overhaul‟ preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative (GS2: Government policies for development in healthcare. A fully functional primary health various sectors and issues arising out of their centre can meet most healthcare needs, and only design and implementation) complicated cases need to be referred to secondary Issue: The corporate affairs ministry is finalizing or tertiary facilities.