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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 26 November 2014

National

Why was Manmohan not questioned in coal scam: court

• A special court dealing with the coal block allocation cases asked the Central Bureau of Investigation why former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was not questioned as a prosecution witness in a case involving erstwhile Coal Secretary P.C. Parakh and Adiyta Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla.
• Dr. Singh was then in charge of the Coal Ministry. Special Judge Bharat Parashar questioned the investigating officer who submitted that “though initially his [PM] examination was found necessary, later on, the investigating agency found it was not required.”
• The officer said that though he had examined certain officers of the Prime Minister’s Office, the then Coal Minister was not questioned. He said the accused were questioned, but their statements were kept only in the case diary and the crime file.
• Later, Mr. Parashar asked the investigating officer to produce the “case diary and the crime file.” The case will now come up for hearing on November 27.
• The CBI had earlier sought closure of the case. However, when the Special Judge pulled it up for filing a patchy probe report, it filed a revised one and took a U-turn, stating that “there is prima facie enough material on record” to prosecute Mr. Parakh and Mr. Birla.
• The case pertains to the allocation of coal blocks to Hindalco, owned by the Aditya Birla Group, allegedly in violation of rules.

Supreme Court for ‘incentives’ to save girl child

• With child sex ratio slipping fast, the Supreme Court asked the States if some “incentives” can be announced for families who “respect and honour” the girl child in a bid to the draw society away from the evil of female foeticide.
• “A female child has as much right to live on the face of the earth as any other. Nobody is taking this up as an issue... This issue affects the human race,” Justice Dipak Misra observed.
• The Bench, also comprising Justice U.U. Lalit, asked the State governments to wake up and not view female foeticide as a “social inevitability”.
• It directed the States to give suggestions for “some incentives that can be given to the family who show respect and honour for the girl child and give birth to girl child so that the sex ratio is improved.”
• The court was alarmed at the prevailing child sex ratio in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi despite these governments assuring that “all possible steps” were taken.
• For instance, the court noted how Uttar Pradesh, when asked to provide the latest status on child sex ratio, produced the Census 2011 chart.
• The Bench said U.P’s affidavit was an “apology” for one. In its defence, the U.P. State counsel pointed to an ‘annual health survey’ to suggest that sex ratio at birth in the State had improved from 904:1000 in 2010-11 to 921:1000 in 2012-13. But when the court asked for the source of the survey’s data, counsel was unable to respond.
• Haryana’s affidavit showed that sex ratio at birth till June 2014 averaged 806:1000 in Rewari district, 839:1000 in Gurgaon and 890:1000 in Faridabad. Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, counsel for NGO Voluntary Health Association Punjab, which filed the PIL, submitted that the “whole of Haryana was in the red zone”.

RS passes labour Laws amendment bill

• The Rajya Sabha passed by voice vote the Labour Laws (Exemption from Furnishing Returns and Maintaining Registers by Certain Establishments) Amendment Bill, 2011 amid walkout by the CPI(M), the CPI, the Janata Dal (United) and the Trinamool Congress members.
• These parties were opposed to some of the provisions of the Bill. The CPI, the CPI(M) and the TMC members moved certain amendments which were not carried.
• Labour unions affiliated to these parties announced a countrywide protest on December 5 against the amendments on the ground that a large number of units will no longer be regulated for maintaining registers of attendance, wage slips of workers.
• Moving the amended Bill, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya assured the Rajya Sabha that the government was “not at all” compromising on the interest of workers and the legislation was not meant to give exemption to any establishment. “The Bill is a social security measure. It simplifies procedures.
• The main purpose of bringing the Bill is transparency, accountability and proper enforcement. The EPF Universal Account Number will be a major benefit as it affords portability, transparency and efficiency,” he said.
• The Bill, as amended, proposes to change the original Act of 1988 to increase the number of laws under which small establishments are exempt from furnishing returns and maintaining registers from nine to 16. It amends the definition of “small” establishments to cover units employing between 10 to 40 workers as against the limit of 19 workers at present.
• The seven Acts that are added to the list include the Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961, the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, and the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996.
• It will allow firms to maintain returns filed on electronic media. The Apprentices Act (Amendment) Bill, which too relates to labour laws, was introduced in the House soon after. It will come up for discussion.

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International

China hopes to start new round of border talks with india

• China has said it is hopeful of starting a new round of talks with India soon following the appointment of Ajit Doval, the National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister, as the government’s special representative for border talks with Beijing.
• China said that it welcomed Mr. Doval’s appointment and expects talks to commence soon.
• “We are willing to hold a new round of special representatives’ talks on border issues at an appropriate time, and push forward the settlement of the problem based on the principles and consensus reached by both sides in previous talks,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
• She pointed out that talks had entered a “crucial stage,” following an initial agreement that had already been reached.
• Diplomatic sources, however, told, that progress had been achieved in “better management” of the border, as witnessed during the incident in the Chumar sector of Ladakh, during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to India.
• But clarification of the Line of Control (LAC) or a focused dialogue on a formula for ending the border row was still far away.

Pak blocks SAARC agreements citing insufficient time

• Diplomats were scrambling, ahead of the plenary session of SAARC leaders, as serious differences emerged over the agreements to be adopted at the conclusion of the summit.
• While two agreements on motor vehicles movement and railway linkages were completed, sources said Pakistan had raised last minute objections to them and to passing the pact on energy cooperation.
• According to officials from various countries present at the meeting, Pakistan’s foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz said the agreements were still “under discussion” within their government, and cited “insufficient time” provided by the SAARC secretariat to clear elements of the declaration through its own cabinet.
• “We have hit a dead-end on this as far as the foreign ministers level is concerned, and our only hope is that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will agree in principle to clear all the agreements and the logistics for energy cooperation in due course,” a SAARC-nation diplomat told.
• External affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin confirmed that there were differences. “Despite our trying very hard to have concrete results on agreements, there has been no consensus yet. We will see how it progresses, but one state has indicated they have yet to complete internal processes.”
• Diplomats said the Pakistani objections weren’t the only issue in the proposed declaration that led to tense moments at the SAARC foreign ministers’ meeting. The role of the nine observers at the Summit is also likely to be amended to accept the requests from some of the observers, most notably China and the U.S., for a greater engagement with SAARC.
• While Nepal has expressed willingness to accept China’s request for a “larger and more regular” role, India has pushed for a “project by project” engagement to fund and execute regional projects, in the areas of connectivity, environment, health and energy.
• China’s Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin, who is heading the Chinese Observer delegation, and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal, met with SAARC secretary-general Arjun Bahadur Thapa to discuss the contours of the discussions.
• However officials dismissed reports that China had put in an official proposal to be accepted as a member-state, even as Indian diplomats said the concerns over the possibility was “exaggerated.”

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Persons in news

Legendry Kathak dancer Sitara Devi passes away

• Legendary Kathak danseuse Sitara Devi, described as “Empress of dance” and a pioneering force in bringing this classical dance genre to Bollywood, died at Jaslok Hospital after a prolonged illness. She was 94.
• Born in 1920 in Calcutta, Sitara drew from the themes, poetry and choreography collected by her father. She also got inspired from the environment around her.
• As condolences poured in, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled her “rich contribution” to Kathak.
• “PM has condoled the passing away of noted Kathak dancer Sitara Devi. PM also recalled her rich contribution to Kathak,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a tweet.
• The characters around the Kathak queen came alive in her dance. “By training, I am just a ‘kathakar’ of Krishna-leela (tales of Krishna),” the danseuse used to say.
• She was born Dhannolakshmi to a family of Brahmin ‘kathakar’ Sukhdev Maharaj and chose school and dance over an early wedding, as was the norm then.
• Legendary Kathak danseuse Sitara Devi, described as “Empress of dance” and a pioneering force in bringing this classical dance genre to Bollywood, died at Jaslok Hospital after a prolonged illness. She was 94.
• Born in 1920 in Calcutta, Sitara drew from the themes, poetry and choreography collected by her father. She also got inspired from the environment around her.
• As condolences poured in, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled her “rich contribution” to Kathak. “PM has condoled the passing away of noted Kathak dancer Sitara Devi. PM also recalled her rich contribution to Kathak,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a tweet.

Business & economy

India can achieve 9% growth, become $10 trillion economy: PwC report

• India has the potential to achieve 9 per cent growth rate and become a $10 trillion economy by 2034 on the back of concerted efforts by the corporate sector and a constructive role played by the government, a PwC report said.
• "India is on the cusp of major change ... For India to take the winning leap and grow its GDP by 9 per cent per annum to become a $10 trillion economy, a concerted effort from corporate India, supported by a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem and a constructive partnership with the government will play a critical role," said the PwC report, 'Future of India — The Winning Leap'.
• Up to 40 per cent of India's $10 trillion economy of 2034 could be derived from new solutions, it said.

Red gram will bring relief to farmers

• If you go by the sheet of yellow covering the agriculture fields at many places in Adilabad district at present, it can be said that red gram will bring the much-needed relief to the unhappy cotton and soya bean farmers.
• The farmers are expecting a bumper red gram crop and pray for weather to continue to be as conducive until harvesting starts in another couple of weeks.
• The initial estimates of the area under red gram decreasing drastically got belied as it was sown in 45,000 hectares against the normal 42,000 hectares. Almost all of the red gram crop was sown as an intercrop in cotton and soyabean fields. Meanwhile, cotton and soybean crops were failed due to unfavourable weather conditions in the season earlier.
• “The two good spells of rainfall in August helped the crop withstand the adverse weather which had prevailed until then,” said Asuri Ravinder, Adilabad Agriculture Officer.
• Given the condition of the crop at this stage, he expects the yield to be between eight and nine quintals per hectare against a normal of seven quintals per hectare.
• “This is a good development for farmers as they will see some profits through sale of red gram. The investment has been only Rs. 5,000 per acre and the minimum support price is Rs. 4,300 per quintal,” pointed out C. Narsingu, a retired agriculture officer.
• All the cotton intensive areas have now become the red gram intensive areas too. The crop can be seen extensively cultivated in the tribal belt and along reservoirs of irrigation projects.
• “The yield will be slightly less in the areas which do not have irrigation,” Mr. Narsingu said. He hoped that the intermittent spells of rainfall in the hilly areas would have influenced the yield on the positive side in that region.

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Science & technology

A new bird species named after Indian-origin scientist

• A new bird species discovered more than 15 years after it was first seen on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi has been named after late ecologist and ornithologist Navjot Sodhi.
• A mottled throat and short wings distinguish Muscicapa sodhii, the newly named Sulawesi streaked flycatcher.
• “Considering that 98 per cent of the world’s birds have been described, finding a new species is quite rare,” said study co-author J. Berton C. Harris, a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University.
• “Despite being a globally important avian hotspot, Sulawesi has largely gone unstudied by ornithologists.”
• The Latin name the team gave the bird pays homage to the late Mr. Sodhi, who was Mr. Harris’ former mentor and professor at the National University of Singapore.
• Several animal species have been named after Mr. Sodhi, including a snail, a fish and a new genus and species of crab.
• “The naming of so many species in honour of Sodhi shows how important he was to his students and collaborators.
• He probably would have been particularly pleased with our bird description, though, because he was an ornithologist, and so few bird species remain to be described,” Mr. Harris noted. The species is markedly different from other flycatchers in its plumage (feathers), body structure, song and genetics.

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Sports

Sania Mirza named UN Goodwill Ambassador

• Sania Mirza was named a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the South Asian region by UN Women. Described as a “woman of achievement” and “youth icon”, Sania will undertake initiatives to promote women empowerment in the region.
• Speaking at the ceremony, the 29-year-old said, “Being a woman and a celebrity is tougher than being a man.
• I would have faced fewer controversies if I was a man. When I was offered this opportunity, I agreed immediately. It’s an extremely big honour for me. This is one of the most important days in my life.”
• Sania also thanked her parents for bringing her up in a house where she was treated equally. The Hyderabad girl left the city for the first leg of the International Premier Tennis League that begins in Manila.