Daily PT Capsule Apr 1-4

Here is the current affairs compilation of Apil 1-4!

SC extends ban on high end diesel SUVs

The Supreme court refused to lift the ban it had imposed on registration of high end diesel cars and SUVs. The court had banned registration of diesel-run private cars of the capacity of 2000 CC and above and SUVs on December 16, 2015, in a bid to cut down air pollution in the city. The ban was to continue till March 31, 2016.

The manufacturers have argued that their cars adhered to prescribed pollution standards and there was no basis to the accusation that they pollute more than petrol vehicles. They pointed out that some SUVs like Toyota Innova and Tata Sumo with over 2000 CC engine capacity could hardly be described as luxury cars.

The court further mooted the idea of making bigger car owners pay pollution charges in case the ban on fresh registration in the NCR was lifted in the future.

The court, however, extended till April 30 the deadline for taxis to switch to CNG. The court had earlier ordered that all taxis, including those operating under aggregators like Ola and Uber in Delhi, plying under city permits, shall switch to CNG not later than March 1, 2016.

Analysis

What is congestion tax? – Congestion pricing or congestion charges is a system of surcharging users of public goods that are subject to congestion through excess demand such as higher peak charges for use of bus services, electricity, metros, railways, telephones, and road pricing to reduce traffic congestion.

Source: TheHindu, Wikipedia

India says no to global terror database

Facing opposition from both Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) the government has decided not to join a U.S. maintained global terror database. The agencies argued that the initiative will serve the interest of US only. The proposal has been stuck since it was initially proposed by the U.S. in 2012.

A model text of the proposal — the Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-6) — was to be discussed at a bilateral homeland security meet to be held in June this year. The HSPD-6 is an agreement for exchange of terrorist screening information between the Terrorist Screening Centre (TCS) of the U.S. and a selected Indian security agency. The TCS has the database of 11,000 terror suspects.

Analysis

What is the US-India Homeland Security Dialogue? – Following the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, the United States and India continue to expand their counterterrorism and homeland security cooperation.

The Department of Homeland Security and Ministry of Home Affairs hold a U.S.-India Homeland Security Dialogue to enhance homeland security cooperation and discuss building capacity in cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection, countering illicit finance, global supply chain security, megacity policing, and science and technology. These senior-level exchanges have reinforced our strategic homeland security partnership and enhanced operational cooperation in investigations, capacity building, and countering threats. Upcoming law enforcement engagement proposals include sharing lessons learned and best practices in SWAT team training and responding to mass casualty exercises, improving both nations’ capabilities to respond to terrorist incidents and natural disasters.

Source: TheHindu

Campaign to Empower Villages

Gram Uday Se Bharat Uday Abhiyan, a Central government’s campaign to strengthen Panchayati Raj in villages and ensure social harmony, empowerment of women and uplift of farmers will be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh in April, on the occasion of 125th Birth anniversary of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar.

The campaign will be run jointly by Union Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Agriculture, Social Justice, Labour and Information and Broadcasting Ministries along with States and will culminate on April 24 on the Panchayati Raj Day with the Prime Minister addressing villagers in Jamshedpur.

Analysis

Which of the Gandhian Directive Principles are related to villages?

Article 40: Organization of Village Panchayats.

Article 43: To promote cottage industry.

Article 46: Promotion of educational and economic interests of the SCs, the STs and the other weaker sections of the society.

Article 47: To bring about the prohibition of intoxicating drinks and drugs that are injurious to health.

Article 48: Organization of agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines to prohibit the slaughter of cows, calves and other milch and draught animals.

Source: TheHindu

PM’s address at the Nuclear Security Summit

PM Modi attended the fourth and final Nuclear Security Summit (NSS), an initiative of Mr. Obama to coordinate international efforts to prevent acts of nuclear terrorism. Leaders from over 50 countries and four international organisations were scheduled to meet for the summit.

The Prime Minister said that Global terrorism has evolved over time and terrorists are now using modern technology and devices while the national and international efforts to counter them have become outdated.

The Prime Minister identified three “contemporary features of terrorism.” “First, today’s terrorism uses extreme violence as theatre. Second, we are no longer looking for a man in a cave, but we are hunting for a terrorist in a city with a computer or a smart phone. Third, State actors working with nuclear traffickers and terrorists present the greatest risk,” he said.

Analysis

What is the Nuclear Security Summit? – The Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) is a world summit, aimed at preventing nuclear terrorism around the globe. The first summit was held in Washington, D.C., United States, on April 12–13, 2010.

While it will be open for the next U.S. President to convene more summits in the coming years, this year’s summit will conclude with the formation of five action plans on existing international platforms that will continue with the nuclear security efforts.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the INTERPOL, the U.N., the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism will coordinate the global cooperation on nuclear security. After this year’s summit, the network of sherpas , or the expert officials from different countries, who have been helping their leaders prepare for these summits, will continue to coordinate with each other as a Nuclear Security Contact Group.

What are the various nuclear threats? – Security experts have identified at least four types of specific threats that terror outfits pose. These groups could acquire a nuclear weapon from the arsenal of a nuclear state; they could acquire enough fissile material to construct an improvised nuclear device – this knowhow exists outside governments too; they could acquire radioactive material from civilian sources such as hospitals or university laboratories that could be mixed with conventional explosives to make a radioactive dispersal device or ‘dirty bomb.’ Terror groups could also sabotage a nuclear facility leading to large-scale loss of lives and destruction.

Source: TheHindu

SC rejects plea for increase in age of judges

A plea asking the Supreme Court(SC) to direct the government to set up an authority to consider raising the age of retirement of Supreme Court judges from the present 65 to 70 was rejected.

The plea argued that when the Constitution had come into force in 1950, 65 was considered “extremely old”. However, life expectancy has increased due to better medical facilities.

The court said that the age of retirement of apex court judges is already fixed in the Indian Constitution.

Analysis

What is the retirement age of judges? – Supreme Court judges retire at the age of 65 which is 3 years more than the retirement age of a judge of the High Court. The position of Chief Justice of India is attained on the basis of seniority amongst the judges serving on the court. Parliament may by prescribe a larger number of judges.

Source: TheHindu, Wikipedia

Model Act for farm land lease

NITI Aayog has finalised a draft Model Act for freeing up of farm land through leasing. The Act is meant for States that plan to legalise farm land leasing. State governments are expected to improvise it to suit the local socio-political requirements.

Land ownership will remain secure and will revert to the owner and in case the parcel of land is sold before the tenure of the lease is complete, the rights of the tenants will be secure.

Attestation of the lease is proposed to be done at the level of the sarpanch, local bank official or notary. The Model Act proposes that farmers and farmer groups be allowed to lease out land. The definition of ‘farm land’ is proposed to be broadened to include food processing.

At present, only land owners can avail of crop insurance schemes or loans. Also, disaster relief in case of drought and crop damage is provided only to the owners and not cultivators. The Model Act will enable share croppers to receive such benefits and relief.

The Model Act is being finalised by an expert committee which NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya had set up in September 2015 under former Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) chairman T. Haque.

Analysis

What will be the benefit of leasing? – Protecting the rights of tenant farmers and landlords through liberalizing agricultural tenancy restrictions could be one significant move to ensure that the vast farm lands are not lying uncultivated, and the farmers are not forced to migrate to cities as construction labourers.

Further, it will increase the tillers’ access to land and ensure increased productivity in agriculture.

Source: TheHindu, LiveMint

US Act to institutionalise defence, trade ties with India

The US-India Defence Technology and Partnership Act, which was introduced in the U.S. Congress a couple of weeks ago, would “institutionalise” the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) framework between the two countries and the Indian-specific India Rapid Reaction Cell (IRRC) in the Pentagon.

The IRRC is the only country-specific cell in the Pentagon and functions under the office of the Under Secretary of Defence Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. It was set up in January 2015 with a six-member team which, is indicative of the importance attached to deepening strategic cooperation with India.

Analysis

What is the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative? –  The DTTI is not a treaty or a law.  It is a flexible mechanism to ensure that senior leaders from both nations are persistently focused on the opportunities and challenges associated with growing the defense partnership. It was launched in 2012.

The DTTI aims to:

1) Transform the bilateral defense relationship into one that is limited only by independent strategic decisions, rather than bureaucratic obstacles or inefficient procedures

2) Strengthen India’s defense industrial base by moving away from the traditional “buyer-seller” dynamic toward a more collaborative approach

3) Explore new areas of technological collaboration from science and technology cooperation through co-development and co-production

4) Expand U.S.- Indian business ties

Source: TheHindu

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