Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 31 July 2018

::NATIONAL::

Assam publishes draft National registry of citizens

More than 40 lakh of the 3.29 crore applicants in Assam were left out of the complete draft National Register of Citizens (NRC), which was published on Monday. The five year exercise was completed at a cost of Rs. 1,220 crore.
While the publication of the list triggered a political row in Parliament, the situation in Assam remained largely peaceful, with thousands lining up at NRC NagarikSevaKendras (NSKs) to check their status.
The remaining 40,007,707 applicants, whose names didn't figure in the list will be given ample opportunity through a process of claims and objections till September 28, and their citizenship status will not be questioned till the final, error-free draft is prepared.
Those not in the draft will get ample opportunity with adequate time to establish their citizenship claim. People who lack knowledge will be provided assistance and full justice will be meted to all, said the registrar general of India.

Loksabha passes criminal law amendment bill 2018

The LokSabha on Monday passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018, that provides for the death sentence for raping girls aged under 12 and enhances the minimum punishment for rape of a woman from seven years to 10.
The Bill amends the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Indian Evidence Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
The minimum punishment for rape of a girl under 16 will be 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, extendable to life imprisonment. The punishment in such cases earlier was 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. In the case of gang rape of a girl below 16, the punishment will be life imprisonment.
The Bill also provides for investigation of rape cases within two months from the registration of an FIR,while there was no timeline earlier for disposal of an appeal after conviction in a lower court, this would now have to be done within six months.
Also there was no longer any provision for anticipatory bail in the case of rape of a girl below 16.

::ECONOMY::

Delhi court pulls up centre based on allegation of violation of FDI norms by e-commerce firms

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought the stand of the Centre, Amazon and Flipkart on a petition alleging that the e-commerce companies were violating foreign direct investment (FDI) norms.
The petition by an NGO, Telecom Watchdog, has also asked for initiation of legal proceedings against the two e-commerce giants under the Foreign Exchange Management Act for alleged violation and circumvention of FDI.
The petition has contended that according to Press Note 3 of 2016, which regulates FDI in e-commerce, entities like Amazon and Flipkart are not to exercise ownership over the stock, nor directly or indirectly influence the price of goods and services sold on their marketplace.
The cumulative impact of this is that the marketplaces have usurped the space meant for small retailers by turning into proxy sellers via their name lending companies,” the petition has alleged.
Exchange offers, EMI costs and bank offers are funded completely or substantially by Amazon and Flipkart and constitute a clear influence on price in violation of FDI norms,” it said.

Centre claims investment in logistics to be $500bn in 2025

Expenditure on investment in logistics, including infrastructure, will touch USD 500 billion, annually, by 2025, said Union Minister of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi today.
He further said that this will create millions of jobs and also do away with the hurdles hampering India’s internal and global trade.
India is now being looked upon as one of the most appropriate destinations for manufacturing and service locations by many of the foreign companies. Further, initiatives like digital India, make in India, skill India have added a boost to the sub-continent's vast pool of resources, cost-efficient environment and skilled workforce.
The measures include smoothening of the border and cross border documentation and activities, dedicated freight corridors, investments in port and other infrastructures, alignment of all business processes thus attempting to improve logistics performance of the country.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

U.S to ease export control norms on India

In a major boost to India, the U.S. on Monday eased export controls on high-technology product sales to it by designating it as a Strategic Trade Authorisation-1 country.
This comes after the U.S. recognised India as a “Major Defence Partner” in 2016, a designation that allows India to buy more advanced and sensitive technologies from the U.S.
We have granted to India Strategic Trade Authorisation STA-1, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced, adding that this is “a very important change” in India’s status in the export control regime.

U.K Parliamentary panel to look into India-U.K relations

A British parliamentary committee is looking into relations between Britain and India — including the impact of Britain’s visa regime — as part of a wider examination of the future of “Global Britain”.
The inquiry comes at a time when tensions between the two countries have heightened amid Indian concerns about the U.K.’s reluctance to ease visa norms for students and professionals.
Parliamentarians in both houses have sought to scrutinise the changing world in which Britain is seeking to strengthen relations outside the EU.
India also pulled out of signing an agreement on the return of illegal migrants because of the 15-day period that would have been stipulated in the agreement for documents to be verified, which India viewed as unrealistic.

::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

Stem cells to be used to fight against parkinson’s disease

Japanese researchers on Monday announced the first human trial using a kind of stem cell to treat Parkinson’s disease, building on earlier animal trials.
The iPS cells from healthy donors will be developed into dopamine-producing brain cells, which are no longer present in people with Parkinson’s disease.
The clinical trials come after the researchers successfully used iPS cells to restore functioning brain cells in monkeys last year. They announced last year that primates with Parkinson’s symptoms regained significant mobility after iPS cells were inserted into their brains.
They also confirmed that the iPS cells had not transformed into tumors during the two years after the implant.

Centre brings in plastic free zones

The environmentMinistry launched pan-India plastic clean-up drive in public areas, national reserves, forests, beaches, rivers etc. Further, letters were written to the State Governments asking them to make protected areas as “Plastic Free Zones”.
“To combat plastic pollution, 21 States/Union Territories in the country has also notified more stringent norms and imposed ban on plastic carry bags and other items in their respective States/UT.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has written letters to the offices comes under its administrative control, Regional Offices of the Ministry, offices of Central Government and its departments, major PSUs, corporates, institutesetc to prohibit single-use plastic products including water bottles, take away coffee cups, lunch wrapped in disposable plastic packaging, plastic bags, disposable food containers, plates and containers made of polystyrene foam, plastic straws etc. in their offices.

::SPORTS::

India’s smritimandhana equals fastest T20 half century

India’s star batswoman SmritiMandhana, playing for Western Storm, equalled the record for the fastest half-century in women’s T20 cricket during a Kia Super League victory over Loughborough Lightning.
Mandhana equalled New Zealand’s Sophie Devine’s record of a half-century off 18 balls, set against India during a T20 International in 2015. The Indian blasted a 19-ball 52 overall.
Mandhana also smashed the tournament record for the fastest fifty as her team beat the league leader by 18 runs in a curtailed six overs-a-side match on Saturday night.