(Current Affairs) National Events | May: 2016

National Events

Union government will assess loss to the crop

  • The Centre has sent teams to Punjab, Haryana and other northern and western States to assess the loss of winter-sown (rabi) crops, including wheat, due to untimely rains and hailstorms in the past few days.
  • There are reports of damage to wheat crop in parts of Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh as hail and rain, accompanied with strong winds flattened the standing crop at many places.
  • The current spell of rain and hailstorms in parts of Rajasthan has also threatened the mustard crop.
  • On a conservative side, the wheat crop might have been damaged in five per cent of the total sown area in these northern States.
  • Wheat has been sown on around 29 million hectares this season across the country and out of this, around half the wheat is sown in the northern and western States.
  • Agriculture experts say the current spell of rains is detrimental for the early sown varieties. However, the late-sown crops could survive provided there is no wind or hailstorm in the coming days.

Supreme Court says Child’s interest should be the focus during adoption

  • Noting that the interests should be kept “first and foremost” during adoption, the Supreme Court directed the Centre and the States to frame regulations under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2015.

  • SC also directed Centre and the States to implement the new guidelines for in-country and inter-country adoption to make the process transparent, friendly and fool-proof.

  • The new juvenile law defines “adoption” as the process through which the adopted child is permanently separated from his biological parents and becomes the lawful child of his adoptive parents with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities that are attached to a biological child.

  • Section 2 of the 2015 Act mandates that adoption regulations should be framed by the authority notified for the purpose by the Centre.

  • Terming the new law and its guidelines “comprehensive” and in line with the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989, the Supreme Court said it “puts in place safeguards against trafficking of children in the name of adoption.”

  • In 2011, there were 5,964 in-country adoptions and 589 inter-country adoptions. In 2014-15, there were 3,988 in-country adoptions and 374 inter-country ones.

  • The Bench, however, refused the NGO’s plea for an omnibus CBI probe into such rackets in the past in various parts of the country.

First payment under OROP sent

  • The government said it had credited revised pensionary benefits along with arrears under one-rank one-pension (OROP) scheme to more than 2 lakh pensioners drawing service and disability pensions.
  • As to the more than 1.46 lakh family pensioners, the government will credit the new benefits by the end of this month.
  • Defence Pension Disbursing Offices [DPDOs] under the Controller General of Defence Accounts have released revised pensionary benefits to 2,21,224 defence pensioners .

Government hopeful to bring big bang reforms

  • The National Democratic Alliance government hopes to press the accelerator on reforms and pass the landmark Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill for a national Goods and Services Tax (GST) and a separate bill for Bankruptcy and Insolvency Code, 2015.
  • The current session of Parliament has already seen the passage of one landmark legislation the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies and Services) Bill, 2016.
  • The legislation meant to provide statutory backing to the unique identification number.
  • FM said “We are trying to have special emphasis now both in terms of legislative changes and resources being put to strengthen the banking system. Next few months, in bringing about structural change, are going to be extremely important.”
  • Mr. Jaitley said that the constituency within India supporting reforms is much bigger than its opponents. He also said that exhibiting determination to move on the reforms path, India can provide a significant amount of growth to the world.
  • The GST Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha but is stuck in the Upper House, where the ruling NDA does not have a majority and is dependent on the support of the Congress for its passage.
  • The Constitution amendment Bill needs two-third majority or 162 votes in the 242-member Rajya Sabha. After it clears the Rajya Sabha, the legislation will have to be ratified by at least half of the 29 States.
  • Also speaking at the Conference, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said that the world had lots to learn from India’s Aadhaar initiative that would affect revenue generation in a big way.
  • Ms. Lagarde also told reporters she didn’t see much of a downside from the global economy to India’s growth rate since the country has a “solid” growth model, a growing population, scale of market and was pursuing reforms.

RSS calls for end of caste based reservation

  • At its annual meeting, the RSS’s highest decision-making body, Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, made a pitch for social justice, passing a resolution on the need to end caste discrimination.
  • RSS general secretary Suresh (Bhaiyyaji) Joshi said that while Hindu thought was supreme, many discriminatory practices had come up over time for which Hindus should take responsibility.
  • He added that harmony was a must and caste discrimination must end.
  • Taking a progressive yet cautious line on the recent controversy over temple entry for women in a Maharashtra temple, Mr. Joshi said that regressive thinking of gender segregation needed to be addressed, but through dialogue rather than agitation.

Restrictions lifted from women entry to Para military forces

  • After declaring reservation for women in constabulary in paramilitary forces, they can now also be inducted as officers in combat roles in all five Central Armed Police Forces.
  • The Union Home Ministry recently published new rules allowing women to apply as direct-entry officers in border guarding force Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the only paramilitary which hitherto did not allow women to join in supervisory combat roles owing to its task of guarding the difficult Sino-India border.
  • Among five of the Central Armed Police Forces, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Central Industrial Security Force, the Border Security Force and the Sashastra Seema Bal have been allowing women to apply as direct-entry officers.
  • Now, by allowing women to apply as direct-entry officers in ITBP, all restrictions have been lifted on women.

PM says India proves democracy and high growth can go together

  • Taking a swipe at China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India’s growth rate of over seven per cent was being achieved in a country that is also a vibrant democracy.
  • Speaking at the Advancing Asia conference here, he said India dispelled the myth that democracy and rapid economic growth could not go together.
  • India’s rapid economic growth, he said, was also very distinct in Asia, as the country had never tried to gain in trade at the expense of partners, never undervalued its exchange rate; it rather added to the world and Asian demand by running current account deficits.
  • The IMF recently included China’s yuan into its reserve currency basket.
  • Amid global problems, Mr. Modi said, India was a haven of macro-economic stability.
  • In a difficult external environment and despite a second successive year of weak rainfall, India has increased growth rate to 7.6 per cent, the highest among major economies in the world.
  • India and the IMF also announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for establishing the South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Centre.
  • It is expected to become the focal point for planning, coordinating, and implementing the IMF’s capacity-development activities in the region.

UNDP says marital rapes criminalisation is commitment under SDG

  • Just days after government said it wouldn’t criminalise “marital rape,” a top U.N. official said that the issue is one of consent, not culture, suggesting that India would be violating the Sustainable Development Goals if it did not amend the law accordingly.
  • UNDP made a significant pitch for all countries that had not made domestic abuse and marital rape criminal offences to do so at the earliest.
  • This is significant because the United Nations Development Programme is monitoring the implementation of the SDGs by 2030.
  • On March 10, in a written answer to a question by an MP, Government had submitted the government’s position in Parliament, saying that the “concept of marital rape, as understood internationally, cannot be applied in the Indian context due to level of education/illiteracy, poverty, customs and values, religious beliefs, mindset of society to treat the marriage as a sacrament, etc..”

Some good news for Indian students applying for US visa

  • After all the negativity associated with US education in the recent months, here is some good news for Indian students.
  • The US government has made certain changes to non-immigrant visas that will now allow the eligible students to obtain the Optional Practical Training (OPT) for three years.
  • However, the facility will be extended only to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students who secure their degrees from accredited institutes and the companies that are part of the E-verify programme.
  • Since most Indian students enrol in these courses, the new norms may work to their advantage despite the stringent norms attached to the changes.
  • The new rule also says that STEM-OPT students should not replace any American worker, temporary or permanent and the salary offered to the OPT students should be similar to the American workers.
  • Students who prefer good institutes in the US will gain while those from non-accredited institutions will not gain from the new rules.
  • Another positive note may be that OPT students will get more time to apply for the H1B visas that are capped at 65,000 every year in addition to the 20,000 meant for US-educated students.

Kerala secures top ranking in public affairs index

  • Kerala and Tamil Nadu have acquired the first and second rank in the public affairs index (PAI) of governance in States, while Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha lag behind, a latest survey by a think-tank, Public Affairs Centre (PAC), Bengaluru, has revealed.
  • Karnataka secured the top position among all States in the category of providing adequate and effective social protection to its citizens. West Bengal and Kerala secured the second and third positions.
  • The survey, which was based on 10 themes, 25 focus subjects and 68 indicators, said Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi secured top three ranks among the small States (less than two crore population).
  • Karnataka, which ranked ninth in the ease of doing business in the World Bank report released last year, was placed at an overall rank three in the PAC survey.
  • 'Education and health are said to be the pillars of development and it is worth mentioning that the State has performed well and has bagged the second rank,” the survey said.
  • Punjab, which secured overall 6th rank, bagged top spot on the infrastructure front, followed by Haryana and Gujarat. Among small States, Delhi led, followed by Goa and Himachal Pradesh.
  • In maintenance of law and order, Tamil Nadu topped the list followed by Gujarat and Kerala.
  • Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha are ranked low in social protection, economic freedom, delivery of justice, women and child development and essential infrastructure indicators.

RSS think tank wants education and health should be prioritise

  • BJP president Amit Shah spoke at the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the RSS’s highest decision-making body. The conclave passed resolutions on affordable education and health care.
  • The meeting passed resolutions on affordable education, with suggestions for more budgetary allocation for education and a greater community participation.
  • "Inadequate allocation for education and lack of priority for education in the government policy during the preceding years have left open this field to institutions aiming for profits,” the resolution said.
  • The resolution called for value-based, nationalistic, employment-oriented and skill-based education for each child.
  • The health resolution called for medical facilities in small towns and villages and made a case for more philanthropic health care efforts. It also called for medicines to be brought within the reach of the people.

PM glorifies India's culture at World Cultural festival

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi braved both the environmental controversy and unexpected rains to attend the World Culture Festival, organised by the Art of Living (AoL) Foundation, led by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
  • Mr. Modi not only watched the cultural programme seated beside Ravi Shankar, but, in a speech, praised the spiritual guru for taking Indian culture to the world.
  • In an apparent reference to the controversy surrounding the event, taking place on the Yamuna floodplains and its impact on the environment, he said, “If we keep criticising everything we have and do not take pride in our cultural legacy, why should the world look at us?”
  • Earlier in the day, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) accepted the AoL Foundation’s argument that it was a charitable organisation which could not at short notice raise Rs. 5 crore imposed by the NGT.
  • The Tribunal, in an interim direction, ordered the Foundation to pay Rs. 25 lakh before the commencement of the programme and granted three weeks' time to pay the remaining Rs. 4.75 crore.

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