(Current Affairs) National Events | December: 2014

National Events

Taking Decisions on Moral Grounds By Trial Courts has become a Fashion: HC

  • It has become “a fashion” in recent years for trial courts to convict those accused in criminal cases on the moral grounds and individual perceptions of the presiding officers rather than strictly on the sound legal principles, the Madras High Court Bench has observed.
  • Justice P.R. Shivakumar also said that taking decisions on the moral grounds was the job of those in “cassocks and saffron clothes” and not judges wearing black robes as they “are expected to act strictly in accordance with the principles and provisions of law.”
  • The observations were made on a criminal appeal filed by an individual in 2006 to set aside the conviction and 10 years rigorous imprisonment imposed on him by a Mahila Court in Tiruchi district.

Centre Identified 287 Outdated Laws to be Repealed in the Winter Session

  • Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government has identified 287 obsolete laws to be repealed in the winter session of Parliament.
  • Mr. Prasad said the Centre has already written for urgent feedback to various departments concerned in whose jurisdictions the outdated amending laws continue to exist.
  • In the previous session, the government had introduced the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2014, to repeal 36 obsolete laws. The Bill is currently pending.
  • Mr. Prasad said the government is also acting on a September 12 report submitted by the Law Commission of India, identifying 72 antiquated statutes, which have to be immediately axed.
  • These 72 laws are part of 261 statutes, the oldest one of them dating back to 1836, which “prima facie require repeal as they are inconsistent with modern times” as per the Commission report.
  • He also informed that the Centre is considering a proposal to repeal 700 Appropriation Acts. Every Parliament passes around 12 Appropriation laws each year to be used whenever the government decides to withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund of India. After every such withdrawal, the particular Appropriation law becomes infructuous.

Komagata Maru Centenary Observed on 29th September

  • A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to the immigrant community of the United States, a year-long centenary commemoration of the Komagata Maru incident — in which 19 Canada-bound Indian immigrants were killed in police firing on September 29, 1914 near Kolkata — was launched here on Monday.

  • The commemoration was launched by Union Minister of State for Culture Sripad Naik in the presence of three granddaughters of Baba Gurdit Singh who was among the leaders of the 376 immigrants aboard the ship that had been turned away from Canada and forced to return to India. The British imperial government saw the men on the ship as dangerous political agitators, and sent the police to arrest Singh and others. While Singh escaped arrest, 19 men were killed in the firing.

Government Buses can’t Display Election ads: Election Commission

  • As Maharashtra and Haryana go for Assembly polls in October, the Election Commission ruled out allowing display of election advertisements on government transport buses, saying the party in power can use it to its advantage and disturb the level playing field.

  • In a communication to Chief Electoral Officers of all states, the EC referred to the issue of allowing election related advertisements on state road transportation and municipal corporation buses.

  • “Level playing field envisaged under the Model Code of Conduct is a very vital aspect for ensuring free and fair elections. A party should not be in a position to take undue advantage on account of it being in power in the government.... the buses of the SRTC are virtually under the control of the state government concerned....,” the EC said.

  • Using powers vested to it under Article 324, the EC has directed that State Road Transport Corporation buses and buses owned by Municipal Corporations and other government-owned vehicles “shall not be used” for display of political advertisements during the period when the model code is in force.

New Art Award Announced in Jaipur Literature Fest

  • The ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival, the world’s largest free literary festival, announced a new art award to be presented in partnership with Delhi-based art organisation Ojas Art.

  • The Ojas Art Award, a new annual addition to the Festival, will be presented to two Indian artists.

  • It will be worth Rs. 51,000 and Rs. 31,000 respectively. The award will also celebrate and encourage new artistic talent by providing a platform for the artists to showcase their work at the Lit Fest.

  • Known for its innovation and inclusive approach to the arts and artistic expression, the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival has been working with Ojas Art for a number of years, showcasing up-and-coming artists’ work. The first edition of the Ojas Art Award will focus on Gond Art and is open for entries from September 29.

1 out of 10 School Children is Overweight: Health Ministry

  • Batting for care of children with Type-I diabetes in schools and colleges and allowing them to take frequent meals even during examinations, the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has sought comments from the Education and Social Justice & Empowerment Ministry on how to bring in the programme to aid these children.

  • Taking action on a report advocating better care and maintenance for children with Type-I diabetes who are in schools and colleges, Dr. Ashok Kumar Jhingan, chairman of Diabetes Education and Research Foundation, had written to Health and Education Ministries stating that the government should look at including this (Type-I diabetes) in the list of physical disability in the Equal Opportunity Protection of Rights and Full Participation Act, 1995.

  • In his letter, Dr. Jhingan had noted that “children with Type-I diabetes have to take small frequent meals to avoid the danger of hypoglycemia. This is very important for the normal functioning of their brain. However, if these children are not allowed to take frequent meals then it leads to hypoglycaemia, which not only adversely affects their performance at school level but also poses a danger to their lives and may leave them de-motivated and frustrated.”

Justice Handyala Lakshminarayana Swamy Dattu as the new CJI

  • Hours after being sworn in as the 42nd Chief Justice of India at the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, Justice Handyala Lakshminarayana swamy Dattu pledged to be a common man’s judge on the Bench.
  • The 63-year-old Chief Justice was sworn in by President Pranab Mukherjee. He will serve for 14 months and retire on December 2, 2015.
  • Asked about the changes in the Supreme Court over the years, the CJI said the workload had increased tremendously and many sensitive cases were being filed now. Justice Dattu is presiding over the Bench monitoring the 2G spectrum scam.

Terrorism Divides, Tourism Unites”: PM

  • The vast untapped economic potential of the tourism industry was at the heart of an impassioned pitch that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made in Manhattan, when he said to a select, distinguished gathering of Indian-American community leaders, opinion-shapers, and long-standing friends of India in the U.S. government, that tourism could generate income for taxi drivers, auto-rickshaw drivers and “even tea-sellers.”

  • Reiterating his support for a scheme that he had mentioned in an earlier conversation Mr. Modi said to the nearly 700 Indian-Americans at a star-studded dinner at the Taj Group’s Pierre Hotel overlooking Central Park that he did not need their dollars, rather he wanted every Indian-American to send five non-Indian friends to visit the country.

  • This way, even though India’s current achievements in the tourism sphere were relatively low, they could increase substantially to tap into a global market worth nearly $3 trillion globally, he argued, and this would also bring benefits per the axiom, “Terrorism divides, tourism unites.”

187th Gunners Day Celebrated: 28 Sep 2014

  • 28th September is being celebrated as Gunners Day. It has a special significance in the annals of the history of the Regiment of Artillery as the first Indian Artillery Unit, 5 (Bombay) Mountain Battery equipped with 2.5 inch RML Gun, was raised on this momentous day in 1827. The Regiment celebrates the occasion every year as Gunners Day.

  • Artillery was first used in India in the 14th Century by the Bahmani Kings during the Deccan War against Vijaynagar Kingdom. A force multiplier throughout the Mughal Period, and later during the reign of the Marathas, Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan and the Sikhs under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, artillery has eternally been an arm to reckon with.

  • The Regiment proved its mettle also during the operations of 1947-48, 1962, 1965, 1971 and 1999. After the Kargil conflict, Artillery has acquired further prominence and with its vast array of weapons, it is acknowledged as an significant Arm of Decision.

18-Year-Long Legal Battle Ended, Jayalalithaa Sentenced to 4 years in Jail

  • An epic 18-year-long legal battle ended in less than five minutes on 27th september. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Jayalalithaa arrived at the Parappana Agrahara complex as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. By the time the curtains were drawn on the dramatic day, she had lost her post after having been found guilty of corruption.

  • The three-time Chief Minister was sentenced to four years’ simple imprisonment and a Rs. 100-crore fine was imposed on her for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Her co-accused — Sasikala Natarajan, V. Sudhakaran and J. Elavarasi — were sentenced to four years’ imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 10 crore each.

  • In consequence, Ms. Jayalalithaa stood disqualified as an MLA and lost her position as Chief Minister. She would now be barred from contesting elections for the period of conviction plus six years — a total of 10 years.

Apple Festival starts in Himachal Pradesh

  • The Himachal Pradesh State Tourism Department has launched an Apple Festival to showcase and promote locally produced apples and apple made products among tourist.
  • The Tourism Departments also plans to take the tourists to the apple orchards itself so that they may have a more hands-on experience of the plucking, packaging and marketing processes involved. The department also conducted a competition for farmers growing exotic varieties of apples. Various local hotels and food chains have also set up stalls selling apple based products.

The ‘Save Kappatagudda’ Campaign

  • The ‘Save Kappatagudda’ campaign, to urge the State government not to drop the plans to declare Kappatagudda hill ranges in Gadag district a wildlife sanctuary, was launched.

  • Environmental activists, religious leaders, farmers, academics, students, wildlife experts, residents of villages surrounding Kappatagudda and others, led by the former chairman of the Western Ghats Task Force Anant Hegde Ashisar and Nandiveri Math seer Sri Shivakumara Swami, conducted a meeting near the Deputy Commissioner’s office.

  • Mr. Ashisar said the government had dropped declaring Kappatagudda a wildlife sanctuary citing the livelihood of the poor. However, the wildlife sanctuary status for the region would not affect the livelihood of the people as there was no proposal either to vacate village residents or ban farming activities. It will only prevent mining activities. If it is not declared a wildlife sanctuary, it will provide scope for the exploitation of the mineral deposits and harm the ecology, he explained.

  • Mr. Ashisar said the seer of Gadag Tontadarya Math, Siddhalinga Swami, who led the agitation against setting up the POSCO steel plant, and Annadaneshwara Mahashivayogi Math seer, Abhinava Annadaneshwara Swami, have extended support to the ‘Save Kappatagudda’ campaign.

Pandavulametta: A Prehistoric Site

  • It is no less historically significant as Stonehenge, Machu Picchu and Biskupin in Poland. Like Stonehenge, which is variedly believed by archaeologists as a sun worshipping place, a prehistoric observatory and even as place of healing, Pandavulametta too is seen as sacred worshipping place.

  • Stonehenge, prehistoric monument in United Kingdom, attracts seven lakh tourists from all over the world annually. Another such prehistoric site Machu Picchu in Peru in South America draws three lakh tourists. Millions of dollars are generated from these two sites.

  • But not a soul visits our own prehistoric monuments abounding a cluster of hillocks of Pandavulametta, Sangamayya Konda and Sailada though located just about 14 km from the district headquarters of Srikakulam barring of course K. Venkateswara Rao, freelance archaeologist, who frequently travels to the place to see that they are in tact.

  • “The only problem is Pandavulametta and other prehistoric sites have never been aggressively promoted as world tourism spots. Though neglected these monuments are in reasonably good shape, basically because not many people know their existence. All of them lack basic infrastructure facilities even pathway to reach them”, says Mr. Rao who has submitted a concept paper to top officials of the Tourism Department.

US Court Issues Summons Against Narender Modi

  • “Jane Doe”, multiple “John Does”, a man only known as Asif and the American Justice Centre — these were the variegated plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to a dramatic summons issued by a New York federal court against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,

  • In their lawsuit, they have made eight distinct claims for relief which include, in order, crimes against humanity; cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; extrajudicial killing; wrongful deaths; negligence; public nuisance; battery; and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

  • All allegations pertain to the role that the plaintiffs perceived Mr. Modi to have played in presiding over the anti-Muslim pogrom that occurred in Gujarat in 2002, when he was the state’s Chief Minister.

  • Business-to-business a priority over government-to-government engagements in Modi’s visit

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected in New York a day after unveiling his “Make in India” plan on 25th September for a five-day visit expected to focus on boosting the Indian economy.

  • Calling the U.S. “a vital partner for our national development” as he left for his tour, Mr. Modi said he hopes to “draw especially on the rich possibilities of partnership in education, skills, research, technology and innovation.”

  • During his visit, Mr. Modi will address corporates at different levels, from a breakfast meeting with 11 top CEOs, one-on-one meetings with leading business figures, including the heads of Boeing, GE, IBM, but also with investment management firms Blackrock and KKR, and finally an address to business chamber USIBC members in Washington.

  • Another big priority for the PM will be energy supplies, as he will try to disentangle the nuclear knots over India’s supplier liability laws, speaking directly to the heads of GE and Westinghouse that have bid for plants in India. Mukesh Ambani will be part of the business delegation during the visit.

SC Cancelled Allocation of 214 Coal Blocks

  • In an order with far-reaching implications, the Supreme Court cancelled all but four of the 218 coal block allocations declared arbitrary and illegal by it in an August 25 judgment.
  • The decision comes as a windfall for the government as the court has ordered the owners of the cancelled coal blocks to cough up Rs. 295 as compensation for every tone of coal they extracted illegally, to make up for the loss to the exchequer.
  • The levy was calculated with reference to the figures of loss arrived at by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
  • The government is expected to get Rs. 8,000- 10,000 crore this way. The government is also free to auction the cancelled blocks.

Ganga Clean-up Programme

  • The Supreme Court said it wants the NDA government to give it a “commitment” that river Ganga will be cleaned in a phased manner and said the court will keep a close watch on the executive’s efforts to rejuvenate the 2,500 km-long river.

  • In response, the government said the Centre’s efforts alone will not help the river get a second lease of life, instead the “thought to keep the Ganga clean must come from within” for the general public, and moreover, the State governments in the five Ganga river basin States - Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal – should rise above political differences and chip in to save the Ganga.

  • Another proposal is by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation to make all 1,649 grampanchayats located along the Ganga banks free from open defecation.

  • The third is to enforce zero liquid discharge from “grossly” polluting industries located across the five Ganga river basin States.

National Tax Tribunal Act is Unconstitutional: SC

  • The Supreme Court struck down the National Tax Tribunal Act, holding it unconstitutional.
  • A Constitutional Bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice R.M. Lodha, said that Parliament could not take away the powers of the judiciary and rest them in a tribunal which is not a court in its characteristic.
  • Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman in a separate but concurring judgment, describing the tribunal as unconstitutional and in breach of separation of powers between different organs of the state, said that the substantial question of law can only be decided by the higher judiciary — the Supreme Court and the high courts.

No Government can Force anyone to Declare his Religion: Bombay High Court

  • No person in India can be compelled to declare his religion, the Bombay high court ruled while hearing a PIL seeking direction to the Maharashtra government to not insist on declaration of religion on official forms and documents.

  • The petition was filed by Dr Ranjeet Mohite, Kishore Nazare and Subhash Ranaware, who claimed to be members of Full Gospel Church of God, which they said had more than 4,000 members. Though they believe in Jesus Christ, they do not believe in Christianity or any other religion.

  • The court said that “every individual has the right to claim that he does not belong to any religion and that he does not practice or profess any religion”.

  • The HC reminded the governments that India is a secular, democratic republic with no state religion. The court held that no state authority could infringe upon a person’s fundamental right under the Constitution of India (Article 25) of freedom of conscience and freely practicing, professing or propagating a religion.

  • The HC said that if an individual is told by the state to disclose his religion, he can say that he does not practice or belong to any religion.

BHEL will Set up 2 Power Stations in Telangana

  • Public sector giant Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) will construct two thermal power generating stations for the Telangana State Generation Corporation (TSGENCO) at Kothagudem and Manuguru in the next three years.
  • The government will soon enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state-owned company, for augmentation of capacities to the extent of 800 MW and 1080 MW respectively at both locations.
  • Project cost for both stations could be about Rs.11,000 crore, out of which BHEL’s portion would be approximately Rs.9,000 crore, senior officials informed. However, negotiations are still on for arriving at final cost.

NGT gave order to MoEF for the Demarcation of Eco-Sensitive area

  • The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) submitted a confusing affidavit to the National Green Tribunal saying State governments in the Western Ghats region may, after undertaking demarcation of eco sensitive areas (ESA) by physical verification, propose the exclusion/inclusion of certain areas in the draft notification dated March 10, 2014.

  • This draft notification issued by MoEF was based on the ESA demarcated by the high-level working group (HLWG) headed by K. Kasturirangan.

  • Justice Swatanter Kumar of the NGT asked the counsel for the Ministry to take direction from secretary or additional secretary on the question of demarcating ESAs. He said that if Kerala had completed its demarcation of ESAs, then let it be finalized.

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