www.iastoppers.com 23rd Jan 2021 Current Affairs Analysis By IASToppers' Editorial Team | 2021-01-23 17:00:00 Polity & Governance How A Bill Becomes an Act? Farmers protesting against the three laws passed by the Parliament in October, 2019 are demanding that the Government repeal these laws. Copyright © 2021 IASToppers. All rights reserved. | Page 1/22 www.iastoppers.com Procedure followed: Parliament has the power to make a law and to remove it from the statute books. A law can be struck down by the judiciary if it is unconstitutional. Once the Parliament has passed a Bill, it goes through three more steps before it becomes a law (or an Act). First step: President’s assent (Article 111 of the Constitution) on the Bill. President can either sign off on the Bill or withhold his consent. A Bill is sent to Parliament for reconsideration if the President withholds his or her assent on it. And if Parliament sends it back to the President, he or he has no choice but to approve it. Second step: Deciding the date on which the law comes into effect. Parliament delegates to the government the power to determine this date. Third step: Government frames the rules and regulations to make the law operational on the ground. Parliament has recommended that the government make rules within six months of passing any law. If the government does not make rules and regulations, a law or parts of it will not get implemented. Example: The Benami Transactions Act of 1988 remained unimplemented in the absence of regulations. Repealing and Amending Act, 2019: To meet the need for periodic review of old and obsolete laws, the Parliament passed the Repealing and Amending Act, 2019. Copyright © 2021 IASToppers. All rights reserved. | Page 2/22 www.iastoppers.com The Act seeks to repeal certain enactments and to amend certain other enactments. It provides for repealing fifty-eight old Laws including the Beedi Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1976, and the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2001 which have no relevance today. [Ref: Indian Express] Government Schemes & Policies 850 MW Ratle Hydro Electric (HE) Project Recently, the Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval for investment of Rs.5281.94 crore for 850 MW Ratle Hydro Electric (HE) Project located on river Chenab, in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. About Ratle Hydroelectric Power Project: Ratle is the first hydropower project in India to be awarded on a tariff-based international competitive bidding (ICB) process. It will be developed on the basis of a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) model of Public Private Partnership (PPP). Under BOOT model a private company undertakes development of the infrastructure project which will be owned, maintained and operated by a private company for a set period of time. After the completion of time period the ownership is transferred to the public entity as per the original contract. Other models for PPP: Build, operate, transfer (BOT): The private organisation does not own the project as an asset, they merely receive a concession to operate it for a period of time. Build lease transfer (BLT): The public sector partner leases the project from the contractor and also takes responsibility for its operation. Copyright © 2021 IASToppers. All rights reserved. | Page 3/22 www.iastoppers.com Design, build, finance and operate (DBFO): Assigns the design responsibility to the private organisation. About Chenab river: Origin: Lahaul valley of Himachal Pradesh. River system: It flows between the Siwalik Range (south) and the Lesser Himalayas (north). The river Chenab (or Chandra Bhaga) is formed after the two streams the Chandra and the Bhaga merge with each other. After receiving the Jhelum River near Trimmu, the Chenab empties into the Sutlej River, a tributary of the Indus River. Chenab is the major left bank tributary of Indus river. Total length: 974 km. Watershed area: Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir Dams: Salal Dam Copyright © 2021 IASToppers. All rights reserved. | Page 4/22 www.iastoppers.com Dul Hasti Hydroelectric Plant Pakal Dul Dam Ratle Hydroelectric Plant Kiru Hydroelectric Power Project Kwar Hydroelectric Power Project About Indus Water Treaty: The erstwhile Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru and President of Pakistan Mohammad Ayub Khan signed the Indus Waters Treaty in September 1960. Waters of the western rivers, the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab were assigned to Pakistan and those of the eastern rivers, the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej to India. It also provided for the funding and building of dams, link canals, barrages, and tube wells. E.g., Tarbela Dam on the Indus River and the Mangla Dam on the Jhelum River. The treaty provided for the creation of a Permanent Indus Commission, with a commissioner from each country to maintain a channel for communication and to resolve questions about implementation of the treaty. [Ref: PIB] A new draft ‘Arctic’ policy Recently, a new draft ‘Arctic’ policy has been unveiled by India to expand scientific research, sustainable tourism and mineral oil and gas exploration in the Arctic region. Copyright © 2021 IASToppers. All rights reserved. | Page 5/22 www.iastoppers.com Highlights of the policy: Objective: To explore arctic resources sustainably. Implementation: The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research under the Ministry of Earth Science located at Goa. Five pillars of the policy: Scientific research Economics and human development Connectivity Global governance and international cooperation Development of Indian human resource capabilities. Benefits: It enables India to pursue various diplomatic, economic and scientific activities in the arctic. Scientists will be able to study the melting rates of the third pole (the Himalayan glaciers) with the help of Arctic research because of the similarities between third pole and the Arctic. About Arctic Region: Copyright © 2021 IASToppers. All rights reserved. | Page 6/22 www.iastoppers.com The Arctic is the northernmost region on Earth. It is dominated by the Arctic Ocean basin, Scandinavia, Russia, the U.S. state of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. Characteristics: Extreme fluctuations between summer and winter temperatures. Permanently frozen ground (permafrost), the surface layer of which is subject to summer thawing. At the time of the equinox in winter months there is complete darkness from December to early March on Arctic Region. At the time of the equinox in summer months there is complete light from March to June on Arctic Region. Importance: North pole route: It is a shorter route to connect Europe and other Asian countries. Abundance of mineral and forest resources. 13% of the undiscovered petroleum and 30% of the undiscovered natural gas resources are found in the Arctic. Study of the area provides important information about climate change. The glaciers and icebergs in the Arctic make up about 20% of Earth’s supply of Copyright © 2021 IASToppers. All rights reserved. | Page 7/22 www.iastoppers.com freshwater. Arctic Expeditions of India: Svalbard Treaty: It was signed in 1920 between Norway, US, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Ireland and the British overseas Dominions and Sweden concerning Spitsbergen. First Scientific Expedition to arctic was launched in 2007 using the international research facility at Ny-Alesund in the Spitsbergen Island of Norway. HIMADRI: It is a research station in Arctic launched in 2008. India is an observer state in the International Arctic Science Committee. The Arctic Council: The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental body to promote cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, the indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants. Set up by Ottawa declaration. Members: Norway Sweden Finland Iceland Denmark (Greenland and Faroe Islands) Canada US Russia Observer status is given to Non-governmental organizations, Non-littoral states as well as to Intergovernmental and Inter-Parliamentary organizations. India is an observer state. Copyright © 2021 IASToppers. All rights reserved. | Page 8/22 www.iastoppers.com [Ref: The Hindu] Issues related to Health & Education India is 3rd Globally in Scientific Publications According to US agency, the National Science Foundation (NSF) India recorded the fastest average annual growth rate of 10.73 per cent for publications between 2008 and 2018. Copyright © 2021 IASToppers. All rights reserved. | Page 9/22 www.iastoppers.com Growth rate of China and United States was 7.81 and 0.71 per cent respectively. India specific: Growth rate: 12.9% 65% of the total patents filed were from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Delhi. Investment in research and development (R&D) has increased. Government initiatives: 5th National Science Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP): Nodal agency: Department of Science and Technology Aim: To bring about profound changes through short-term, medium-term, and long-term mission mode projects by building a nurtured ecosystem that promotes research and innovation on the part of both individuals and organizations. to foster, develop, and nurture a robust system for evidence and stakeholder-driven Science Technology and Innovation (STI) planning, information, evaluation, and policy research in India. Objectives: to identify and address strengths and weaknesses of the Indian STI ecosystem to catalyse socio-economic development of the country and also make the Indian STI ecosystem Copyright © 2021 IASToppers. All rights reserved. | Page 10/22 www.iastoppers.com globally