Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 06 November 2016

:: National ::

Capital’s air quality slipped to ‘hazardous’ levels

Facing its worst spell of persistent smog in nearly two decades, the Capital’s air quality slipped to ‘hazardous’ levels. Low wind speed and high moisture content ensured that the city remained blanketed in thick smog through the day.
Pollution levels were the worst in the season so far. PM10 in the range of 900-1700 microgram per cubic metre: standard level is 100 and benzene which is cancer causing agent, were recorded across the city.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the high levels of smog had turned the Capital into a ‘gas chamber” and blamed stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana for the problem.
For the first time perhaps, the three municipal corporations of Delhi closed schools under their jurisdiction, numbering around 1,700, due to the high levels of pollution.
While 200-300 microgram per cubic metre is considered very unhealthy, 300+ is considered hazardous.
Many people in the city complained of irritation in the eyes and breathing problems because of the smog.
Meanwhile, doctors have caution that particulate matter can cause respiratory diseases if one is exposed to unsafe levels for prolonged periods. They have advised people to avoid outdoor physical activities.
People with heart or lung diseases, older adults and children have also been advised to remain indoors and keep activity levels low.

Govt agreed to use retired judges

Union government has agreed to a resolution passed by the judiciary in the Chief Justices and Chief Ministers Conference to use the services of retired High Court judges with proven integrity and track record to tackle pendency of cases.
The provision to use the services of retired judges is open to the Chief Justices of High Courts under Article 224A of the Constitution with the previous consent of the President as an extraordinary measure to tide over case pile-ups.]
Chief Justices will actively have regard to the provision of Article 224A of the Constitution as a source for enhancing the strength of judges to deal with the backlog of cases for a period of two years or the age of sixty five years, whichever is later until a five plus zero pendency is achieved.”
‘Five plus zero’ is an initiative by which cases pending over five years are taken up on priority basis and their numbers are brought down to zero.
Accordingly, it was resolved that all High Courts shall assign top-most priority for disposal of cases which are pending for more than five years.
In High Courts, where arrears of cases pending for more than five years are concentrated shall facilitate their disposal in a “mission mode.”
The agreement on the minutes comes at a time when the Executive and the Judiciary are trying to find a common ground on the memorandum of procedure for judicial appointments in High Courts and Supreme Court.
The 24 High Courts face a shortage of nearly 450 judges. Nearly three crore cases are pending in courts across India.

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:: International ::

Islamic state takes responsibility of Turkey bombing

A news outlet linked to the Islamic State (IS) said its fighters staged a bombing that killed 11 people in southeastern Turkey, according to U.S.-based monitors, after Ankara blamed Kurdish militants for the attack.
Turkish Prime Minister BinaliYildirim said bombing was carried out by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has regularly targeted security forces since ending a truce in 2015.
The attack on a police headquarters in the Kurdish-majority of Diyarbakir left 11 people dead, including two police, and over 100 wounded.
The pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) said six of its MPs, including its co-leaders, had narrowly escaped injury in the attack as they were being held in the police complex following their detention overnight.
If confirmed, the claim would be the first ever by IS for an attack in Turkey, although it has been blamed over the last year for a series of strikes against Kurdish activists, tourists and on Istanbul airport.

:: Business and Economy ::

FM says domestic investment still needs to pick up

Domestic investment is the only growth engine that still needs to pick up and banks must recover their loans to help boost private investment, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.
He said that a large part of the delay in recovery of loans was due to deliberate steps taken by creditors not to pay their debts on time.
“In the bulk of the cases where banks’ dues have to be returned, the defences are frivolous, if not a sham,” Mr Jaitley said.
“They are a time-gaining device and therefore the more we are able to delay the procedures, the more we are preventing the recovery, and the more we are preventing that investment from going into more fruitful hands.”
“In terms of domestic investment, the situation is still challenging. It is clear the Indian private sector needs to invest. And that is when all engines of the economy will start firing.”
The private sector, either impacted by large unutilised capacities, global slowdown, and sectoral stresses caused either by domestic or international factors, slowed down significantly.
Their balance sheets got very badly disturbed. And the stressed balance sheets of these companies started impacting the balance sheets of the banks because they were unable to service their loans.
New projects worth Rs.44,607 crore were announced in 2015-16, down from the Rs.54, 235 crore worth of announcements seen in the previous year, according to CMIE data.
The first half of this financial year, however, has witnessed an improvement, with a 43 per cent increase in the value of new project announcements as compared to the same period in 2015-16.
Against this background, there is a dire need to introduce efficiency in the loan recovery process, since litigation, if allowed to continue endlessly, would be to the detriment of the entire economy, the Union Finance Minister said.