(Current Affairs) National Events | April + May: 2014

National Events

New MGNREGS wage rate

  • Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh said that the wage rate of UPA’s flagship MGNREGA will be increased from April this year due to inflation. The notification will be placed before Parliament in the coming session scheduled to begin this week.

  • Addressing the 9th MGNREGA Divas, the Minister said MGNREGA wage rate has already been linked to Consumer Price Index and the yearly revision follows from it. Mr. Ramesh acknowledged that there is need for parity in the MGNREGA wage rate and the minimum wage in nearly 14 States including Bihar and Jharkhand, where the rural job wage is lower than minimum wage.

  • The Minister also encouraged the officials to motivate and help small and marginal farmers to undertake land levelling and irrigation schemes on their land under MGNREGA and lamented that only 10 per cent farmers have so far benefited from this provision.

  • Minister of State for Rural Development Pradeep Jain Aditya said that MGNREGA has brought about a revolution in rural India and stopped distress migration from rural to urban areas. He noted that this year more than 3 crore 80 lakh families have benefitted so far. While Mr. Jain acknowledged that fighting corruption in its implementation is a big challenge he asserted that it is the responsibility of the State governments.

‘High dignitaries’ term is undemocratic: SC

  • The Supreme Court has agreed to review the list of ‘high dignitaries’ who can use red beacons. The apex court noted that the term high dignitaries appears contrary to democratic ethos.
  • The motor vehicles carrying high dignitaries specified by the Central government and their counterparts specified by the state, may be fitted with red lights. But the red lights with or without the flashers can only be used when the specified high dignitary is on duty.
  • Amicus curiae in the case Harish Salve said that in a republic everyone is public and except for security reasons, no one should be allowed to use the beacons. He also added that the beacons indicated a sense of symbolism which is not correct in a republic.
  • The matter has been posted for hearing after two weeks in the SC.

North-East community’s protest over Nido Taniam’s death

  • Is India in need of a strong antiracism law? The recent attack on a young Arunachal boy and the alleged sexual assault on two Manipuri women make it seem like the demand is justified.
  • Student organisations from the northeast have been protestingover the death of Taniam. The alleged sexual assault on the two Manipuri women and the alleged police apathy towards them has only added fuel to the fire.
  • According to them India is in need of a strong anti-racism law.
  • The northeastern student groups say they are not protesting merely to demand justice for Taniam. It is for those thousands of people from the northeast who daily face some or the other form of harassment.
  • They are fighting the collective failure of a system and society that they actually belong to.

Bharat Ratna

  • Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and eminent scientist Prof. C N R Rao were conferred with the country’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, by President Pranab Mukherjee.
  • The President presented the honour at a brief function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Durbar Hall attended by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Union ministers, Sachin’s wife Anjali, daughter Sara and a host of dignitaries.
  • Master batsman Tendulkar, who retired from international cricket on November 16 last year, is the first sportsman to be bestowed with the honour.
  • Tendulkar (40) and Rao (79), both of whom are recipients of Padma Vibhushan — the country’s second highest civilian honour, will join a list of 41 eminent personalities who have been conferred with the award that is given in recognition of exceptional service of the highest order, since it was instituted in 1954.
  • An outspoken scientist, Prof Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao is a well recognised international authority on solid state and materials chemistry who has published over 1,400 research papers and 45 books.
  • He is the third scientist after C V Raman and former President A P J Abdul Kalam to be conferred with the Bharat Ratna.
  • The Bharat Ratna was announced after a gap of four years with Hindustani music doyen Bhimsen Joshi being the last recipient in 2009.

50% quota for women

  • Making out a strong case to formulate a National Policy and Action Plan to end violence against women, a governmentappointed panel has recommended 50 per cent reservation for women in all decision-making bodies and an overhaul of the criminal justice system to ensure justice for women.

  • Suggesting that a separate panel be appointed by the government to study the status of Muslim women in the country, the High Level Committee on the Status of Women in India, in its preliminary report, said upgrading the Minister of Women and Child Development to Cabinet rank would reflect the government’s concern on women’s issues.

  • Calling for an increase in resources, the panel said a large amount of resources was being directed towards child development in the Ministry.

  • It said the Parliamentary Committee on the Empowerment of Women must examine the gender implications of all proposed legislation and the National Commission for Women, as an apex body responsible for and answerable to 50 per cent of the population, must go beyond ‘reactive interventions’ to fulfil the proactive mandate of studying, recommending and influencing policies, laws, programmes and budgets to ensure full benefits to the stakeholders.

  • Focussing on the need to bring about major changes in the criminal justice system, the report suggests initiatives ranging from a more gender sensitive enforcement machinery to greater awareness of different legislation and their interconnectedness, along with accountability for securing women’s rights

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