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1. CLIMATE VULNERABILITY REPORT

The Department of Science and Technology has released a report titled ‘The Report Climate

Vulnerability Assessment for Adaptation Planning in India Using a Common Framework’.

Key Points

About the Report:

● It identifies the most vulnerable states and districts in India with respect to current climate

risk and key drivers of vulnerability.

● It aids in prioritizing adaptation investment, developing and implementing adaptation

programs.

● The assessment is unique as it uses a common framework across the states & union

territory to make them comparable thereby empowering the decision-making capabilities

at the policy and administrative levels.

● Some key indicators for the assessment include percentage of population living below the

poverty line; income share from natural resources; the proportion of marginal and small

landholdings, women’s participation in the workforce; density of healthcare workers etc.

It is part of the capacity building programme under the two missions of the National Action Plan

on Climate Change (total 8 missions).

1. National Mission on Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE)

2. National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC).

Key Findings of the Report:

● Highly Vulnerable States: It identified Jharkhand, Mizoram, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Assam,

Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal as states highly vulnerable to climate change.

● Lower-middle Vulnerable States: Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Sikkim and Punjab.

● Low Vulnerable States: Uttarakhand, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Nagaland, Goa and

Maharashtra.

● Highly Vulnerable Districts: Among all states, Assam, Bihar, and Jharkhand have over 60%

districts in the category of highly vulnerable districts.

Vulnerability scores in all the districts of India lies in a very small range. It shows that all districts

& states are somewhat vulnerable with respect to current climate risk in India.

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● Significance of the Findings:

The assessments can be used for India’s reporting on the Nationally Determined Contributions

(NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

● NDCs embody efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the

impacts of climate change.

These assessments will help support India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change.

1. It will contribute to the development of more targeted climate change projects and will

support the implementation of the State Action Plans on Climate Change.

2. It will help in developing adaptation projects for the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund

and funds from multilateral and bilateral agencies.

3. It will also benefit climate-vulnerable communities across India through development of

better-designed climate change adaptation projects.

2. UNFPA- WORLD POPULATION REPORT

Recently, the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) flagship State of World Population Report

2021 titled ‘My Body is My Own’ was launched.

This is the first time a United Nations report has focused on bodily autonomy, defined as the

power and agency to make choices about your body without fear of violence or having someone

else decide for you.

Key Points

Violation of Bodily Autonomy:

About:

The principle of bodily integrity sums up the right of each human being, including children, to

autonomy and self-determination over their own body. It considers an unconsented physical

intrusion as a human rights violation.

While the principle has traditionally been raised in connection with practices such as torture,

inhumane treatment and forced disappearance, bodily integrity has the potential to apply to wide

range of human rights violations, which also affect children’s civil rights.







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Under its ambit also fall people with disabilities stripped of their rights to self-determination, to

be free from violence and to enjoy a safe and satisfying sexual life.

Some Examples:

• Child marriage.

• Female genital mutilation.

• Lack of contraceptive choices leading to unplanned pregnancy.

• Unwanted sex exchanged for a home and food.

When people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities cannot walk down a street

without fearing assault or humiliation.

● Global Scenario:

Right to Make Decisions Regarding Own Body:

Nearly half the women from 57 developing countries do not have the right to make

decisions regarding their bodies, including using contraception, seeking healthcare or even

on their sexuality.

1. Only 75% of countries legally ensure full and equal access to contraception.

Effect of Covid:

2. Women around the world are denied the fundamental right of bodily autonomy with the

Covid-19 pandemic further exacerbating this situation.

Indian Scenario:

In India, according to National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-4 (2015-2016):

Healthcare:

3. 12% of currently married women (15-49 years of age) independently make decisions

about their own healthcare.

4. 63% decide in consultation with their spouse.

5. For 23% it is the spouse that mainly takes decisions about healthcare.

Contraceptives:







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1. 8% of currently married women (15-49 years) take decisions on the use of contraception

independently.

2. 83% decide jointly with their spouse. Information provided to women about use of

contraception is also limited.

3. 47% of women using a contraceptive were informed about the side effects of the method.

4. 54% women were provided information about other contraceptives.

3. CUBA SOCILAIST GOVERNMENT

For the first time in six decades, Cuba’s socialist government will not have a Castro in top

leadership. Raul Castro on Friday, 18 April, said that he is stepping down as the head of Cuba’s

Communist party. The Communist party is the sole ruling party in charge of the country’s affairs

as per the Cuban Constitution.

In a speech at the opening of the Eighth congress of the sole ruling party, Castro announced that

he has concluded his task as first secretary, “with the satisfaction of having fulfilled (his duty)

and confidence in the future of the fatherland”, quoted AP. He is likely to officiate his resignation

by Monday, 19 April.

“As long as I live, I will be ready with a food in the stirrup to defend the fatherland, the revolution

and socialism,” said Castro on Friday, as per the report.

The 89-year-old has not indicated who the successor would be, although, he has seemingly

favoured 60-year-old Miguel Diaz-Canel in the past, whom he named as his replacement as

President of Cuba in 2018, reported PTI.

He stated that Cuba’s leadership was being handed off to a younger generation that is “full of

passion and anti-imperialist spirit”, as per The New York Times.

Castro's Reign in Cuba

● Castro took the reins from his elder brother, a former Communist revolutionary, Fidel

Castro in 2018 after he fell ill. Fidel Castro led Cuba for five decades, after dethroning

dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959, where Raul fought side by side, and was the world's

third longest-serving head of state, after Britain's Queen Elizabeth and the King of

Thailand.

● Fidel was vividly remembered for playing an influential role during the Cuban Missile Crisis.







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● Fidel Castro also enjoyed a close relationship with India – as is testified by his various

meetings with the Indian leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari

Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh. He died in 2016

4. GLOBAL CORPORATE TAX

● Global Minimum Corporate Tax

● Major economies are aiming to discourage multinational companies from shifting profits –

and tax revenues – to low-tax countries regardless of where their sales are made.

● Increasingly, income from intangible sources such as drug patents, software, and royalties

on intellectual property has migrated to these jurisdictions.

This has allowed companies to avoid paying higher taxes in their traditional home countries.

With a broadly agreed global minimum tax, the Biden administration hopes to reduce such tax

base erosion without putting American firms at a financial disadvantage.

● How would such tax work?

The global minimum tax rate would apply to companies’ overseas profits.

Therefore, if countries agree on a global minimum, governments could still set whatever local

corporate tax rate they want.

But if companies pay lower rates in a particular country, their home governments could “top-up”

their taxes to the agreed minimum rate, eliminating the advantage of shifting profits to a tax

haven.

The Biden administration has said it wants to deny exemptions for taxes paid to countries that

don’t agree to a minimum rate.

● Back2Basics: Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS)

1. BEPS refers to corporate tax planning strategies used by multinationals to “shift” profits

from higher-tax jurisdictions to lower-tax jurisdictions.

2. It thus “erodes” the “tax base” of the higher-tax jurisdictions.







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3. Corporate tax havens offer BEPS tools to “shift” profits to the haven, and additional BEPS

tools to avoid paying taxes within the haven.

4. It is alleged that BEPS is associated mostly with American technology and life science

multinationals.

5. ART 244A – ASSAM

The demand for an autonomous state within Assam has been raised by some of the sections of

the society in Assam under the provisions of Article 244A of the Constitution.

Key Points

Background:

In the 1950s, a demand for a separate hill state arose around certain sections of the tribal

population of undivided Assam.

After prolonged agitations, Meghalaya gained statehood in 1972.

The leaders of the Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills were also part of this movement. They

were given the option to stay in Assam or join Meghalaya.

They stayed back as the centre promised them more powers, including Article 244 (A)

In the 1980s, the demand for more power/autonomy took the form of a movement with a number

of Karbi groups resorting to violence.

It soon became an armed separatist insurgency demanding full statehood.

Article 244A

Article 244(A) allows for creation of an ‘autonomous state’ within Assam in certain tribal areas.

It also envisages creation of a local legislature or Council of Ministers or both to carry out local

administration.

It was Inserted into the Constitution by the Twenty-second Constitution Amendment Act, 1969.

Article 244(A) accounts for more autonomous powers to tribal areas than the Sixth Schedule.

Among these the most important power is the control over law and order.







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In Autonomous Councils under the Sixth Schedule, they do not have jurisdiction of law and order.

Sixth Schedule

● The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution provides for the administration of tribal areas in

Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram to safeguard the rights of the tribal population

in these states.

● This special provision is provided under Article 244 (2) and Article 275 (1) of the

Constitution.

● In Assam, the hill districts of Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong and West Karbi and the Bodo

Territorial Region are under this provision.

The Governor is empowered to increase or decrease the areas or change the names of the

autonomous districts. While executive powers of the Union extend in Scheduled areas with respect

to their administration in fifth schedule, the sixth schedule areas remain within executive authority

of the state.

● The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution deals with the administration and control of

scheduled areas and scheduled tribes in any state except the four states of Assam,

Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

● The whole of the normal administrative machinery operating in a state do not extend to

the scheduled areas.

● At present, 10 States namely Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh,

Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana have Fifth

Schedule Area.

● Tribal habitations in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar

Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir have not been brought under the Fifth or Sixth Schedule.

The acts of Parliament or the state legislature do not apply to autonomous districts and

autonomous regions or apply with specified modifications and exceptions.

The Councils have also been endowed with wide civil and criminal judicial powers, for example

establishing village courts etc. However, the jurisdiction of these councils is subject to the

jurisdiction of the concerned High Court.







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6. COPYRIGHT WAR

The story so far: Copyright battle between Google and Oracle

Supreme court of US has favoured Alphabet Inc.’s Google where is it was accused by Oracle of

violating the country’s copyright law.

This case is dubbed as “the copyright case of the century”.

In 2010, Federal district court, ruled in favour Oracle by stating that Google’s Android platform

infringed upon its copyright in a platform called Java SE. This ruling was overturned in recent

judgement.

More About the case

➢ Earlier, Oracle acquired Java language from Sun Microsystems (original developers of

Java). However, later it was found that Google used some codes of Java language in its

android program.

➢ JAVA SE (standard edition) is a platform that programmers use to build programs that

work on any personal computer. Oracle’s charge was that Google copied a part of this

platform’s program while developing the Android platform for programmers.

➢ Court acknowledged that Google copied over 11500 lines of code from the Java SE

program.

Court’s argument in favour of Google

Court said that whatever google did by copying the code for its android platform is based on the

fair use of copyrights. Fair use is a legal doctrine that promotes freedom of expression by

permitting the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works in certain circumstances.” So,

activities such as “criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research” may

qualify under fair use. In other words, these activities can be exempt from copyright infringement

charges.







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The Supreme Court said Google’s copying was transformative, as it “copied only what was needed

to allow programmers to work in a different computing environment” (which is Android) using a

familiar programming language (Java).

Global implication of the ruling

It would provide freedom to software developers who are using software interfaces developed by

others without infringing the copyrights of the original developers. However, creative code would

still be subjected to copyright rules.

Now, any firm or software developer could use software interface code for their program without

violating any copyright rules.

This would definitely benefit IT/ITES industry of India.

7. CJI APPOINTMENT

Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde has recommended Justice N.V. Ramana, the senior-most

judge of the Supreme Court, as the next top judge.

Justice Ramana is now set to take over as the 48th Chief Justice of India from April 24.

Appointment of CJI:

The Chief Justice of India is traditionally appointed by the outgoing Chief Justice of India on the

day of his (or her) retirement.

By convention, the outgoing Chief Justice of India selects the most senior then-sitting Supreme

Court judge.

Seniority at the apex court is determined not by age, but by:

● The date a judge was appointed to the Supreme Court.

If two judges are elevated to the Supreme Court on the same day:

● The one who was sworn in first as a judge would trump another.

If both were sworn in as judges on the same day, the one with more years of high court service

would ‘win’ in the seniority stakes.

An appointment from the bench would ‘trump’ in seniority an appointee from the bar.







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Is it a part of the Constitution?

● The Constitution of India does not have any provision for criteria and procedure for

appointing the CJI. Article 124(1) of the Indian Constitution says there “shall be a Supreme

Court of India consisting of a Chief Justice of India”.

The closest mention is in Article 126, which deals with the appointment of an acting CJI.

In the absence of a constitutional provision, the procedure relies on custom and convention.

What is the procedure?

● The procedure to appoint the next CJI is laid out in the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP)

between the government and the judiciary:

The procedure is initiated by the Law Minister seeking the recommendation of the outgoing CJI

at the ‘appropriate time’, which is near to the date of retirement of the incumbent CJI

The CJI sends his recommendation to the Law Ministry; and in the case of any qualms, the CJI

can consult the collegium regarding the fitness of an SC judge to be elevated to the post.

After receiving recommendation from the CJI, the law minister forwards it to the Prime Minister

who then advises the President on the same.

The President administers the oath of office to the new CJI.

Appointment of the CJI and the appointment of SC judges- key difference:

In the former, the government cannot send the recommendation of the CJI (or the collegium)

back to them for reconsideration; while in the latter, the government can do so. However, if the

collegium reiterates those names, then the government cannot object any further.







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8. AI SPACE

Recently, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based portal

‘SUPACE’ in the judicial system aimed at assisting judges with legal research.

SUPACE is short for Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court’s Efficiency.

Earlier, the E-Courts Project was conceptualized on the basis of "National Policy and Action Plan

for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary

- 2005" submitted by the e-Committee of the Supreme Court.

Key Points

About SUPACE:

It is a tool that collects relevant facts and laws and makes them available to a judge.

It is not designed to take decisions, but only to process facts and to make them available to

judges looking for an input for a decision.

Initially, it will be used on an experimental basis by the judges of Bombay and Delhi High Courts

who deal with criminal matters.

Significance:

It will produce results customized to the need of the case and the way the judge thinks.

This will be time saving. It will help the judiciary and the court in reducing delays and pendency

of cases.

AI will present a more streamlined, cost effective and time bound means to the fundamental right

of access to justice.

It will make the service delivery mechanism transparent and cost-efficient.

Challenge:

Redundancy of certain posts after introduction of SUPACE.







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Since it is intended to do what the human mind can do, but much more efficiently and

methodically, there is apprehension in the generation of unemployment.

E-Courts Project

About:

It was conceptualized with a vision to transform the Indian Judiciary by ICT (Information and

Communication Technology) enablement of Courts.

It is a pan-India Project, monitored and funded by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and

Justice, for the District Courts across the country.

Objectives of the Project:

1. To provide efficient & time-bound citizen-centric services delivery.

2. To develop, install & implement decision support systems in courts.

3. To automate the processes to provide transparency and accessibility of information to its

stakeholders.

4. To enhance judicial productivity, both qualitatively & quantitatively, to make the justice

delivery system affordable, accessible, cost-effective, predictable, reliable and

transparent.

9. ADITYA SATELLITE

What is the Objective of Aditya L1 Mission?

● The objective of Aditya L1 mission is to study Sun’s Corona, Chromosphere and

Photosphere. In addition, it will study the particle flux emanating from Sun, and the

variation of magnetic field strength.

About Aditya L1 Mission

1. It was launched using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) XL

2. Unlike other missions lead by ISRO, Mission Aditya L1 comprises few moving components

which may be a cause of collision in space







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Given below is a list of payloads which have been used for the mission:

• Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC)

• Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)

• Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX)

• Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya

• Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS)

• High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS)

Magnetometer

The main objective of the Aditya L1 Mission is that it will help in tracking Earth-directed storms

and predict its impact through solar observations.

Why did ISRO Rename Aditya 1 Mission as Aditya L1 Mission?

● Aditya-1 mission was planned for observing only the Corona of Sun. The reason behind

Corona getting heated to very high temperatures is still a mystery in Solar Physics. Aditya

-1 mission involved placing the satellite in 800 Km low earth orbit. Later ISRO planned to

place the satellite in the halo orbit around the Lagrangian Point (L1). L1 is 1.5 Million Km

from the Earth. This point provides the advantage of observing the Sun continuously

without any disturbance. Hence the mission was renamed as Aditya L1 mission.

The satellite will be launched by PSLV-XL launch vehicle from Sriharikota.

10. WORLD PRESS FREEDOM INDEX

India has ranked 142nd yet again out of 180 nations in the recently unveiled World Press Freedom

Index.

The index is published each year by the international journalism not-for-profit body, Reporters

Without Borders (RSF).

Key Points

About the World Press Freedom Index:

It has been published every year since 2002 by Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) or Reporters

Without Borders.







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Based in Paris, RSF is an independent NGO with consultative status with the United Nations,

UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF).

OIF is a 54 French speaking nations collective.

The Index ranks countries and regions according to the level of freedom available to journalists.

However it is not an indicator on the quality of journalism.

The parameters include pluralism, media independence, media environment and self-censorship,

legislative framework, transparency, and the quality of the infrastructure that supports the

production of news and information.

Global Scenario:

Journalism, the main vaccine against disinformation, is completely or partly blocked in 73% of

the 180 countries.

Only 12 of the Index’s 180 countries (7%) can claim to offer a favourable environment for

journalism.

Covid-19 pandemic has been used to perfection by nations to control the spread of information.

The Report has raised concern about the larger Asia-Pacific region as several nations in an attempt

to curb freedom of press have in place draconian laws on ‘sedition,’ ‘state secrets’ and ‘national

security’.

Norway has topped yet again for the fifth year in the row, followed by Finland and Denmark.

Eritrea is at the bottom meanwhile China is ranked 177, and is only above North Korea at 179

and Turkmenistan at 178.

India’s Performance Analysis:

India was ranked 142 in the year 2020 as well, thus showing no improvement in the environment

it provides to its journalists

India has fared poorly amongst its neighbours with Nepal at 106, Sri Lanka at 127 and Bhutan at

65. Pakistan is a close follower at 145th spot.







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India is among the countries classified “bad” for journalism and is termed as one of the most

dangerous countries for journalists trying to do their jobs properly.

The report has blamed an environment of intimidation created by the nationalist government for

any critical journalist often brandishing them as anti-state or anti national.

The situation is worrying in Kashmir, where incidents of harassment of reporters by police and

paramilitaries have surfaced.

11. EARTHQUAKE IN ASSAM

Earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter Scale jolted Assam and other parts of Northeast.

According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) report, the tremors have been attributed

to Kopili Fault zone closer to Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT).

NCS is the nodal agency of the Government of India for monitoring earthquake activity in the

country. It comes under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Key Points

Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT):

HFT, also known as the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT), is a geological fault along the boundary of

the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.

Kopili Fault Zone:

The Kopili fault zone is a 300 km long and 50 km wide lineament (linear feature) extending from

the western part of Manipur up to the tri-junction of Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

The area is seismically very active falling in the highest Seismic Hazard zone V associated with

collisional tectonics where Indian plate subducts beneath the Eurasian Plate.

Subduction is a geological process in which one crustal plate is forced below the edge of another.

Squeezed between the subduction and collision zones of the Himalayan belt and Sumatran belt,

the North East is highly prone to earthquake occurrences.

According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) report, the tremors have been attributed

to Kopili Fault zone closer to Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT).

NCS is the nodal agency of the Government of India for monitoring earthquake activity in the

country. It comes under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Key Points







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Fault:

A fault is a fracture along which the blocks of crust on either side have moved relative to one

another parallel to the fracture.

When an earthquake occurs, the rock on one side of the fault slips with respect to the other.

The fault surface can be vertical, horizontal, or at some angle to the surface of the earth.

Tectonic Plates:

A tectonic plate (also called lithospheric plate) is a massive, irregularly-shaped slab of solid rock,

generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere.

A tectonic plate may be a continental plate or an oceanic plate, depending on which of the two

occupies the larger portion of the plate.

The Pacific plate is largely an oceanic plate whereas the Eurasian plate is a continental plate.

Earthquake

An earthquake in simple words is the shaking of the earth. It is a natural event. It is caused due

to release of energy, which generates waves that travel in all directions.

The vibrations called seismic waves are generated from earthquakes that travel through the Earth

and are recorded on instruments called seismographs.

The location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and

the location directly above it on the surface of the earth is called the epicenter.

Types of Earthquake: Fault Zones, Tectonic Earthquakes, Volcanic Earthquake, Human

Induced Earthquakes.

Seismic Hazard Map of India

India is one of the highly earthquake affected countries because of the presence of technically

active young fold mountains - Himalaya.

India has been divided into four seismic zones (II, III, IV, and V) based on scientific inputs relating

to seismicity, earthquakes occurred in the past and tectonic setup of the region.

12. YANGON SHADOW GOVERNMENT

Yangon (AFP)

Myanmar's shadow government of ousted lawmakers has welcomed a call by Southeast Asian

leaders for an end to "military violence" after their crisis talks in Jakarta with junta leader Min

Aung Hlaing.

STORYLINE







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The general attended a high-level summit with leaders from the 10-country Association of

Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to discuss Myanmar's mounting crisis.

Since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a February 1 coup, Myanmar has

been in an uproar -- with near-daily protests and a nationwide boycott of work in all sectors of

society staged to demand a return to democracy.

Security forces have deployed live ammunition to quell the uprising, killing more than 740 people

in brutal crackdowns, according to local monitoring group Assistance Association for Political

Prisoners (AAPP).

But the ASEAN meeting produced a consensus that there would be "an immediate cessation of

violence in Myanmar", said a statement released by the bloc Saturday night.

ASEAN will also have a special envoy to "facilitate mediation" between all parties, and this

representative will be able to travel to Myanmar.

A spokesperson from a shadow government of ousted lawmakers -- many of whom are from Suu

Kyi's National League for Democracy party -- on Saturday welcomed the call for an end to violence

in Myanmar as "encouraging news".

"This is what the National Unity Government has been calling for," said the NUG's

minister of international cooperation known as Dr Sasa, who is currently in hiding with the rest

of his fellow lawmakers.

"We eagerly await the engagement by the (ASEAN) secretary general... we look

forward to firm action by ASEAN to follow up its decisions and restore our democracy

and freedom for our people and for the region."

The lawmakers of the NUG are currently wanted for high treason by the junta.

- 'Will the killing stop?' -

As Myanmar nears three months under the military regime, escalating violence by its security

forces -- especially in urban centres -- has pushed protesters and prominent activists into hiding.

The junta has also throttled communications across the country, imposing a nightly internet

shutdown for 70 consecutive days and restricting mobile data to a mere trickle -- shunting the

nation into an information blackout.







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On Saturday, as Min Aung Hlaing attended the meeting with ASEAN leaders and foreign ministers

in Jakarta, soldiers and police fired on protesters near Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw.

One 50-year-old protester was held by the police and shot dead by a soldier, an eyewitness told

AFP.

The number of detainees climbed to 3,389 on Saturday, according to AAPP.

While ASEAN leaders said they "heard calls for the release of all political prisoners", a commitment

to free them was not included in their consensus statement.

UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said it remains to be seen how effective the

bloc's engagement will be.

13. GNCT AMENDMENT

The Government of National Capital Territory (GNCT) of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021, which

gives primacy to the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) over the elected government in the city, has come

into force.

Key Points

Provisions of the GNCT of Delhi (Amendment) Act 2021:

It amended the Sections 21, 24, 33 and 44 of the 1991 Act.

States that the “government” in the National Capital Territory of Delhi meant the Lieutenant-

Governor of Delhi.

It gives discretionary powers to the L-G even in matters where the Legislative Assembly of Delhi

is empowered to make laws.

It seeks to ensure that the L-G is “necessarily granted an opportunity” to give her or his opinion

before any decision taken by the Council of Ministers (or the Delhi Cabinet) is implemented.

It bars the Assembly or its committees from making rules to take up matters concerning day-to-

day administration, or to conduct inquiries in relation to administrative decisions.

Criticism:







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The latest amendment will greatly reduce the efficiency and timeliness of the Delhi government

by making it imperative for it to hold consultations with the L-G even when a situation demands

urgent action.

Significantly, the L-G is not obliged to give his opinion to the State government within a time

frame. Critics argue that the L-G could politically exploit these unbridled powers to hamper the

government’s administrative work and thus turn the political tides against the incumbent if he so

desires.

It is against the spirit of ‘Federalism.”

Union Government’s Stand:

It is in keeping with the Supreme Court’s July 2018 ruling on the ambit of powers of the L-G and

the Delhi government following several headliner controversies between the two.

The purported fair objectives of the Act, include enhancing public accountability and easing out

technical ambiguities related to everyday administration.

This will increase administrative efficiency of Delhi and will ensure better relationship between

the executive and the legislator.

Background

Enactment of GNCTD Act:

The GNCTD Act was enacted in 1991 to “supplement provisions of the Constitution relating to the

Legislative Assembly and a Council of Ministers for the National Capital Territory of Delhi”.

It enabled the process of an elected government in Delhi.

The Supreme Court had in the past appreciated the 1991 developments, stating that the real

purpose behind the Constitution (69th Amendment) Act, 1991 is to establish a democratic set-up

and representative form of government wherein the majority has a right to embody their opinions

in laws and policies pertaining to the NCT of Delhi subject to the limitations imposed by the

Constitution.

69th Amendment Act, 1992

It added two new Articles 239AA and 239AB under which the Union Territory of Delhi has been

given a special status.

Article 239AA provides that the Union Territory of Delhi be called the National Capital Territory

of Delhi and its administrator shall be known as Lt. Governor.







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It also creates a legislative assembly for Delhi which can make laws on subjects under the State

List and Concurrent List except on these matters: public order, land, and police.

It also provides for a Council of Ministers for Delhi consisting of not more than 10% of the total

number of members in the assembly.

Article 239AB provides that the President may by order suspend the operation of any provision

of Article 239AA or of all or any of the provisions of any law made in pursuance of that article.

This provision resembles Article 356 (President’s Rule).

Point of Friction:

However, over the years, there was friction between the Chief Minister and the Lieutenant

Governor (L-G) over power-sharing.

The focal point of these conflicts was that in case of a difference between the L-G and the Council

of Ministers on any matter,

The matter was to be referred to the President by the L-G for his decision,

And pending such a decision the L-G was empowered to take any action on the matter as he

deemed right.

Judgement of the Supreme Court

In the Government of NCT of Delhi vs Union of India and Another in 2018 case, the SC held that:

The government was not under obligation to seek the concurrence of the L-G on its decisions and

That any differences between them should be resolved keeping in view the constitutional primacy

of representative government and cooperative federalism.

Essentially, the SC judgment made it extremely difficult for the L-G to refer such matters to the

President.

14. USA – PALESTINE AID

The United States, in a significant reversal to the earlier policy, has announced the restoration of

at least USD 235 million in financial assistance to the Palestinians.

The US administration had already announced USD 15 million in coronavirus relief to the

Palestinians.







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Key Points

Financial Aid:

The financial aid includes USD 75 million economic help for the West Bank & Gaza, USD 10 million

for ‘peacebuilding’ programmes of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and

USD 150 million in humanitarian assistance to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

The UNRWA funds would include educational assistance for at least 5,00,000 Palestinian children

living in West Asia.

The Trump administration (former administration) had almost ended all funding to the

organisation in 2018.

The UN welcomed the move, hoping it would attract more funds to the body.

There were a number of countries that had greatly reduced or halted contributions to UNRWA

after the US stopped the aid.

The Prime Minister of Palestine welcomed the move and called it a new political path that meets

the rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people based on international law and UN resolutions.

However, Israel, which has accused UNRWA of anti-Semitism (hostility to, prejudice, or

discrimination against Jews), objected to the funding plans.

Israel - Palestine Issues:

The decades-long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is rooted in competing claims to the

Holy Land, and includes disputes over borders, Jerusalem, security, and Palestinian refugees.

The Israel-Palestine Conflict can be traced back to 1917.

Holy Land is a Middle Eastern region with great religious and historical significance to Christians,

Jews, and Muslims.

Mideast War, 1967 was a major turning point. It is also known as the six-day war or Third Arab-

Israeli war.

Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip in the war. In the decades since,

Israel has built settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem that now house a million Israelis.

US Recent Policy:

US President Donald Trump’s decision in 2017, to relocate the US Embassy to Jerusalem, was

criticized for being heavily tilted towards Israel.







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Mideast Plan or Middle East Peace Plan: It was unveiled by the then US government in January,

2020.

Under it, the Palestinians would have a limited statehood contingent on a list of stringent

requirements while Israel would annex some 30% of the West Bank.

The Palestinians rejected the plan and threatened to withdraw from key provisions of the Oslo

Peace Accords, which are a series of agreements between Israel and the Palestinians signed in

the 1990s.

Present US President Joe Biden has reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to a two-state

solution.

India’s Stand:

India recognised Israel in 1950 but it is also the first non-Arab country to recognise Palestine

Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole representative of the Palestinian.

India is also one of the first countries to recognise the statehood of Palestine in 1988.

In 2014, India favored UNHRC’s resolution to probe Israel’s human rights violations in Gaza.

Despite supporting the probe, India abstained from voting against Israel in UNHRC in 2015.

As a part of Link West Policy, India has de-hyphenated its relationship with Israel and Palestine

in 2018 to treat both the countries mutually independent and exclusive.

In June 2019, India voted in favor of a decision introduced by Israel in the UN Economic and

Social Council (ECOSOC) that objected to granting consultative status to a Palestinian non-

governmental organization.

So far India has tried to maintain the image of its historical moral supporter for Palestinian self-

determination, and at the same time to engage in the military, economic, and other strategic

relations with Israel.

IBSA

15. SIXTH INDIA-BRAZIL-SOUTH AFRICA (IBSA) WOMEN’S FORUM

MEETING WAS HELD VIRTUALLY.

India is the current chair of IBSA Dialogue Forum.

Key Points







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Highlights from the Meeting:

Recalled that the Year 2020 marked the 25th anniversary of Beijing Declaration and

Platform for Action (BDFA): The 1995 Beijing Platform for Action flagged 12 key areas where

urgent action was needed to ensure greater equality and opportunities for women and men, girls

and boys.

It also laid out concrete ways for countries to bring about change.

The 5th anniversary of adoption of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development &

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): Goal 5 aims to eliminate all forms of discrimination

and violence against women in the public and private sphere.

The 20th anniversary of UNSC RESOLUTION 1325 on women, peace and security.

A Decade since UN WOMEN was established: UN Women is the United Nations (UN) organization

dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. It was established in 2010.

Lauded the efforts of Government of India in helping out other countries to overcome the

challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic by providing vaccines, masks, sanitizers, PPE Kits etc.

India's Effort for Women Empowerment:

Equal rights for men and women are enshrined under Articles 14 to 16 in the Indian constitution.

It signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

(CEDAW) in 1980 and ratified it in 1993 with some reservations.

The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 and the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005

have been enacted to criminalise instances of dowry and domestic violence.

The government also increased maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks under the Maternity

Benefit Act in 2017 for the private sector.

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013

has been enacted covering all the women, in spite of their age and employment status, and

protects them from sexual harassment at workplaces, in both the public and private sectors of

the industry where the women are employed.







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Another milestone was reached when the Supreme Court upended the government’s position on

women serving as army commanders in 2020.

Efforts to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill which gives 33% reservation for women seats in all

levels of Indian politics.

Flagship schemes to promote gender equality, including Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (Save the

Daughter, Educate the Daughter), Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (a scheme to provide gas

connections to women from below the poverty line households) and Mahila-E-Haat (which uses

technology to support female entrepreneurs).

While India has taken some measures on human development, its global standing on gender

equality remains low. India’s ranking in the Global Gender Gap Report, commissioned by the

World Economic Forum, declined from 108th in 2018 to 112th in 2020.

India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum

About: The IBSA Dialogue Forum is a tripartite grouping (India, Brazil, South Africa) for promoting

cooperation among these countries.

16. NISAR SATELLITE

NASA and ISRO are collaborating on developing a satellite called NISAR, which will detect

movements of the planet’s surface as small as 0.4 inches over areas about half the size of a tennis

court.

The satellite will be launched in 2022 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India,

into a near-polar orbit and will scan the globe every 12 days over the course of its three-year

mission of imaging the Earth’s land, ice sheets and sea ice to give an “unprecedented” view of

the planet.

What is NISAR?

It’s an SUV-sized satellite that is being jointly developed by the space agencies of the US and

India. The partnership agreement was signed between NASA and ISRO in September 2014,

according to which NASA will provide one of the radars for the satellite, a high-rate communication

subsystem for science data, GPS receivers and a payload data subsystem. ISRO, on the other

hand, will provide the spacecraft bus, the second type of radar (called the S-band radar), the

launch vehicle and associated launch services.

Role of NASA:

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA - space agency of the USA) will provide

one of the radars for the satellite, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS

receivers and a payload data subsystem.







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NISAR will be equipped with the largest reflector antenna ever launched by NASA.

Role of ISRO:

Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) will provide the spacecraft bus, the second type

of radar (called the S-band radar), the launch vehicle and associated launch services.

Primary Goals:

• Tracking subtle changes in the Earth’s surface,

• Spotting warning signs of imminent volcanic eruptions,

• Helping to monitor groundwater supplies, and

• Tracking the rate at which ice sheets are melting.

This space mission will benefit its multiple applications. Discussed below are the same in detail:

Life and Civilisation: NISAR will provide maps of surface soil moisture globally every 6 to 12

days at the spatial scale of individual farm fields. This offers unprecedented detail and is vital for

monitoring the habitats of plants, animals, and humans

Damage Mapping: The NISAR satellite mission can provide maps and images of any disturbance

which may lead to a natural disaster. Within hours to days of natural disasters like major

earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and landslides, the NISAR satellite will present its

observations which will rapidly provide information for rescue operations, economic loss

estimates, and the health of the critical infrastructure.

Protecting water and Oil Spills: Every year emergency responders work to prevent hundreds

of oil and chemical spills from harming people and the environment. Rapid identification of spilled

oil in the vast open waters of the oceans and gulf is key to minimizing damage, and radar remote

sensing can provide the necessary information.

Glaciers and Ice Sheet: Observations of the flow of Earth’s ice sheets and glaciers are critical

to understanding current and future rates of sea-level rise. Synthetic aperture radar can serve as

a ‘radar speed gun’ to provide global maps of ice flow in support of sea-level rise impact

assessments

Marine Hazards: NISAR will provide information used to monitor ocean wind, waves, and sea-

ice extent that can aid weather forecasting and warn of marine hazards. Its coverage of coastal

oceans benefits sea transportation and coastal communities.

Flood Forecasting: Flood forecasting informs downstream communities if a flood is coming and

how much flooding to expect. Like a virtual stream gauge, synthetic aperture radar is able to







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measure changing water levels in standing vegetation as floodwaters from heavy upriver rains

head downstream.

Protecting Forest Resources: NISAR is designed to monitor global forest extent and quality

and to provide accurate and timely information on forest volume and products for sustainable

development and management of ecosystem goods and services.

Expected Benefits:

• NISAR's data can help people worldwide better manage natural resources and hazards,

as well as providing information for scientists to better understand the effects and pace

of climate change.

• The images will be detailed enough to show local changes and broad enough to measure

regional trends.

• As the mission continues for years, the data will allow for better understanding of the

causes and consequences of land surface changes.

• It will also add to our understanding of our planet's hard outer layer, called its crust.

17. INDIA IN AFGHAN PEACE PROCESS

In November 2018, when Russia held talks with the Taliban, members of the Afghan High Peace

Council, and other regional powers, India chose to send a nonofficial delegation of two diplomats

to Moscow. In September 2020, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar joined

the inaugural session of intra-Afghan talks in Doha, addressing the gathering via video and

encouraging any peace process to be controlled by the Afghan people.

For Afghanistan, India’s entry into the talks should be a net positive if the endgame is to see a

secure, stable, and economically dynamic country. Traditionally, the two nations have maintained

strong bilateral ties, with New Delhi often focusing on carrying out developmental projects based

on the Afghan government’s requests. The demand-driven strategy has helped India generate a

considerable amount of goodwill for itself while providing Afghanistan needed assistance in

important sectors, such as education, health, irrigation, power generation, transport, rural

development, and critical infrastructure building.

USA President’s New Peace Initiative:

Delay in Withdrawal of Troops: This peace plan has kept open the possibility that the USA troops,

currently deployed in Afghanistan, might stay on for a longer time.

Under the earlier USA- Taliban Deal, the USA had promised to withdraw all troops by May, 2021.

Immediate Action: The USA is pressing the Taliban to accept an immediate agreement to

reduce violence for 90 days that will provide the space for the peace initiative.







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Inclusive Process: The USA will not be “dictating terms” to the Afghan parties, but facilitating

an inclusive interim government, an agreement on the “foundational principles” for a new political

order, and a “permanent and comprehensive ceasefire”.

Turkey’s Role: The USA is asking Turkey to convene a meeting of the government in Kabul

(capital of Afghanistan) and the Taliban to finalise a peace settlement.

Unified Approach: The USA asked the United Nations to convene a meeting of the foreign

ministers from China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, India and the United States to develop a “unified

approach” to peace in Afghanistan.

India’s Role in Peace Process Through “Unified Approach”

India is an important player in the peace process – it has also been acknowledged by the USA.

India supports all efforts for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan which are inclusive and

Afghan-led, Afghan owned and Afghan-controlled.

India has invested heavily in infrastructure developments, training security forces and supplying

them with necessary equipment.

India has a major stake in the stability of Afghanistan since it has invested considerable resources

in Afghanistan's development.

India hopes to have a role in setting the terms especially concerning terrorism, violence, women’s

rights and democratic values.

India’s Interest in Afghanistan:

Economic and Strategic Interest: Afghanistan is a gateway to the oil and mineral-rich Central

Asian republics.

Anyone who is in power in Afghanistan controls the land routes connecting India with Central

Asia (via Afghanistan).

Developmental Projects: The massive reconstruction plans for the country to offer a lot of

opportunities for Indian companies.

Major projects include the Afghan Parliament, the Zaranj-Delaram Highway, and the Afghanistan-

India Friendship Dam (Salma Dam).

Also India’s assistance of more than USD 3 billion in projects, hundreds of small development

projects (of schools, hospitals and water projects) have cemented its position in Afghan







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18. EU CLIMATE CHANGE

The European Union (EU) has earmarked millions of euros for supporting climate friendly

development in Southeast Asia.

After the EU became a “strategic partner” of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations

(ASEAN) bloc in December 2020, both blocs pledged to make climate change policy a key area of

cooperation.

Key Points

EUs Assistance to Southeast Asia

Multilateral Assistance: The EU is the largest provider of development assistance to the ASEAN

region, and has committed millions of euros to various environmental programs. This includes 5

million Euros to the ASEAN Smart Green Cities initiative and another 5 million Euros towards a

new means of preventing deforestation, called the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and

Trade in ASEAN.

Individual Help: Along with multilateral assistance, the EU also works with individual ASEAN

member states on eco-friendly policies like Thailand’s Bio-Circular-Green Economic Model and

Singapore’s Green Plan 2030.

Problems Faced by the EU in Southeast Asia

• Region’s environmental policy as Southeast Asia is going in the wrong direction in many

areas on climate change.

• Five ASEAN states were among the fifteen countries most affected by climate change

between 1999–2018, according to the Climate Risk Index 2020.

Coal Consumption in Southeast Asia:

• Southeast Asia’s energy demand is projected to grow 60% by 2040.

• Coal-fired energy will overtake natural gas as the main power source in the ASEAN region

by 2030. And by 2040 it could account for almost 50% of the region’s projected CO2

emissions.







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• In 2019, the region consumed around 332 million tons of coal, nearly double the

consumption from a decade earlier, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

This will contribute to a two-thirds rise in CO2 emissions to almost 2.4 gigatons, according to the

Southeast Asia Energy Outlook 2019.

Risks for the EU in Southeast Asia:

Could Face Exporters Anger: If the EU takes a strong forceful stance on coal consumption in

the region, it could spark anger from the main exporters of the commodity, China, India and

Australia.

Policy Resistance: The EU's climate change policy in the region has already been met with

resistance.

Indonesia last year initiated proceedings at the World Trade Organization against the EU’s phased

ban on palm-oil imports.

The EU contends the ban is to protect the environment, but Indonesia, the world’s largest palm

oil producer, says it is mere protectionism.

Malaysia, the world’s second-largest palm oil producer, supports Indonesia in its battle against

the EU.

Accusations of Hypocrisy:

• The other problem for the EU is that it risks accusations of hypocrisy if it takes too forceful

a stance on coal-fired energy production in Southeast Asia.

• Poland and the Czech Republic of the EU remain dependent on coal-fired energy

production.

• Southeast Asia and Europe each accounted for around 11% of the world’s thermal coal

imports in 2019.

India’s Coordination with ASEAN on Climate Change:

• In 2012 Both adopted a 'New Delhi Declaration on ASEAN-India Cooperation in Renewable

Energy'.

• ASEAN-India Green Fund was established in 2007 with USD 5 million for funding pilot

projects to promote adaptation and mitigation technologies in the field of climate change.







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• ASEAN and India are collaborating on several projection Climate Change and biodiversity

through partnership with IISc, Bangalore.

19. DUSTLIK EXERCISE

Aim of the Exercise:

Counter Insurgency (CI) and Counter Terrorism (CT) operations in mountainous, rural and urban

scenarios under the United Nations (UN) mandate.

About the First Edition:

Took place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in November 2019.

Significance:

• Uzbekistan is important to India for security and connectivity to the Central Asian region

and also Iran, it is also one alternative India has with respect to Afghanistan.

• Security concerns stemming from the conflict in Afghanistan is one of the major challenges

for India’s involvement in Central Asia.

Joint Military Exercises of India with Other Countries

Name of Exercise Country

Garuda Shakti Indonesia

Ekuverin Maldives

Hand-in-Hand China

Bold Kurukshetra Singapore

Mitra Shakti Sri Lanka

Nomadic Elephant. Mongolia

Shakti France







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Surya Kiran Nepal

Yudh Abhyas. USA

20. WORLD ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) World Economic Outlook has raised its Financial Year (FY)

2021 growth forecast for India to 12.5% from 11.5% estimated earlier in January 2021.

Key Points

Indian Economy:

• Indian economy is expected to grow by 12.5% in 2021 and 6.9% in 2022.

• In 2020, India’s economy witnessed an estimated contraction of 8%.

• Growth rate for India in 2021 is stronger than that of China.

• China was the only major economy to have a positive growth rate of 2.3% in 2020, and

is expected to grow by 8.6% in 2021 and 5.6% in 2022.

Global Economy:

• The IMF predicted stronger recovery in 2021 and 2022 with growth projected to be 6%

in 2021 and 4.4% in 2022.

• In 2020, the global economy contracted by 3.3%.

• The contraction for 2020 is 1.1% points smaller than previous projection, reflecting:

Higher-than-expected growth outturns in the second half of the year for most regions after

lockdowns were eased and as economies adapted to new ways of working.







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Additional fiscal support in a few large economies and the anticipated vaccine-powered recovery

in the second half of the year.

Suggestions

Health Care: The emphasis should be on escaping the health crisis by prioritising health care

spending, on vaccinations, treatments, and health care infrastructure. Fiscal support should be

well targeted to affected households and firms.

Accommodative Monetary Policy: Monetary policy should remain accommodative (where

inflation is well behaved), while proactively addressing financial stability risks using

macroprudential tools.

Tailored Approach: Policymakers will need to continue supporting their economies while dealing

with more limited policy space and higher debt levels than prior to the pandemic.

This requires better targeted measures to leave space for prolonged support if needed. With

multi-speed recoveries, a tailored approach is necessary, with policies well-calibrated to the stage

of the pandemic, the strength of the economic recovery, and the structural characteristics of

individual countries.

Priorities: The priorities should include green infrastructure investment to help mitigate climate

change, digital infrastructure investment to boost productive capacity and strengthening social

assistance to arrest rising inequality.

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND

• The IMF was set up along with the World Bank after the Second World War to assist in

the reconstruction of war-ravaged countries.

• The two organisations were agreed to be set up at a conference in Bretton Woods in the

US. Hence, they are known as the Bretton Woods twins.

• Created in 1945, the IMF is governed by and accountable to the 189 countries that make

up its near-global membership. India joined on 27th December, 1945.

• The IMF's primary purpose is to ensure the stability of the international monetary system

— the system of exchange rates and international payments that enables countries (and

their citizens) to transact with each other.







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• The Fund's mandate was updated in 2012 to include all macroeconomic and financial

sector issues that bear on global stability.

Reports by IMF:

• Global Financial Stability Report

• World Economic Outlook

• World Economic Outlook

It is a survey by the IMF that is usually published twice a year in the months of April and October.

It analyzes and predicts global economic developments during the near and medium term.

In response to the growing demand for more frequent forecast updates, the WEO Update is

published in January and July between the two main WEO publications released usually in April

and October.

21. TRIBUNAL REFORMS

President promulgated Tribunal Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance

2021 through which the Appellate authorities under nine laws have been replaced with High

Courts.

The Ordinance has amended the Finance Act 2017 to include provisions related to the composition

of search-cum-selection committees, and term of office of members in the Act itself.

The Finance Act 2017

It empowered the central government to notify rules on qualifications of members, terms and

conditions of their service, and composition of search-cum-selection committees for 19 tribunals

(such as Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal).

Key Points

Search-cum-selection committees: The Chairperson and Members of the Tribunals will be

appointed by the central government on the recommendation of a Search-cum-Selection

Committee.







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The Committee will consist of: Chief Justice of India, or a Supreme Court Judge nominated

by him, as the Chairperson (with casting vote), Secretaries nominated by the central government,

The sitting or outgoing Chairperson, or a retired Supreme Court Judge, or a retired Chief Justice

of a High Court.

The Secretary of the Ministry under which the Tribunal is constituted (with no voting right).

Term of Office: The term of office for the Chairperson of the tribunals will be of four years or

till the attainment of the age of seventy years, whichever is earlier.

For other members of the tribunals, the term will be of four years or till the age of sixty-seven

years, whichever is earlier.

The Nine Laws (Replacement of Appellate Authorities/Tribunals):

• The Cinematograph Act, 1952.

• The Trade Marks Act, 1999.

• The Copyright Act, 1957.

• The Customs Act, 1962.

• The Patents Act, 1970.

• The Airports Authority of India Act, 1994.

• The Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002.

• The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

Reason for Replacing Tribunals

Poor Adjudication & Delay: The quality of adjudication has been underwhelming in most

cases, the delays have been substantial because the government has struggled to find competent

persons willing to accept positions on these tribunals, and litigation has actually become more

expensive, as these tribunals added another layer to it.

Litigations Against Them: There has been incessant litigation since 1985 by advocate bar

associations against the tribunals over serious questions of their independence from the

executive.

Related Concern: The cases with High courts could increase.

Tribunals

About:







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• It is a quasi-judicial institution that is set up to deal with problems such as resolving

administrative or tax-related disputes.

• It performs a number of functions like adjudicating disputes, determining rights between

contesting parties, making an administrative decision, reviewing an existing administrative

decision and so forth.

• The term ‘Tribunal’ is derived from the word ‘Tribunes’, which means ‘Magistrates of the

Classical Roman Republic’.

• Tribunal is referred to as the office of the ‘Tribunes’ i.e., a Roman official under the

monarchy and the republic with the function of protecting the citizen from arbitrary action

by the aristocrat magistrates.

A Tribunal, generally, is any person or institution having an authority to judge, adjudicate on, or

to determine claims or disputes – whether or not it is called a tribunal in its title.

Constitutional Provisions:

• Tribunals were not originally a part of the Constitution.

• The 42nd Amendment Act 1976 introduced provision for tribunals in accordance with

the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee.

The Amendment introduced Part XIV-A to the Constitution, which deals with ‘Tribunals’ and

contains two articles:

Article 323A

It deals with Administrative Tribunals. These are quasi-judicial institutions that resolve disputes

related to the recruitment and service conditions of persons engaged in public service.

Article 323B

It deals with tribunals for other subjects such as Taxation, Industrial and labour, Foreign

exchange, import and export, Land reforms, Food, Ceiling on urban property, Elections to

Parliament and state legislatures, Rent and tenancy rights.

22. GENDER GAP REPORT

• India has fallen 28 places in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report

2021.

• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, One Stop Centre (OSC) Scheme, Ujjawala Scheme are some the

initiatives launched by the government to address the issue of gender inequality.







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• Further, the principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian Constitution in its

Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles.

Key Points

Global Gender Gap Report

About:

• It was first published in 2006 by the WEF.

• It benchmarks 156 countries on their progress towards gender parity in four dimensions:

1. Economic Participation and Opportunity

2. Educational Attainment

3. Health and Survival

4. Political Empowerment

Over the Index, the highest possible score is 1 (equality) and the lowest possible score is 0

(inequality).

Aim

To serve as a compass to track progress on relative gaps between women and men on health,

education, economy and politics. Through this annual yardstick, the stakeholders within each

country are able to set priorities relevant in each specific economic, political and cultural context.

India’s Position:

Overall Ranking

India is now one of the worst performers in South Asia, it is now ranked 140 among 156 countries.

In South Asia, Bangladesh ranked 65, Nepal 106, Pakistan 153, Afghanistan 156, Bhutan 130 and

Sri Lanka 116.

India had ranked 112th among 153 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2020.

Political Empowerment:

India has declined on the political empowerment index as well by 13.5 percentage points, and a

decline in the number of women ministers, from 23.1% in 2019 to 9.1% in 2021.







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However, it has still performed relatively well compared to other countries, ranking at 51 in

women’s participation in politics.

Education Attainment:

In the index of education attainment, India has been ranked at 114.

Economic Participation:

• The report notes that the economic participation gender gap actually widened in India by

3% this year.

• The share of women in professional and technical roles declined further to 29.2%.

• The share of women in senior and managerial positions also is at 14.6% and only 8.9%

firms in the country have top female managers.

The estimated earned income of women in India is only one-fifth of men’s, which puts the country

among the bottom 10 globally on this indicator.

In Pakistan and Afghanistan, the income of an average woman is below 16% of that of an average

man, while in India it is 20.7%.

Health and Survival index:

• On this India has fared the worst, ranking at 155.

• The only country to have fared worse is China.

• The report points to a skewed sex ratio as the major factor.

It says the ratio can be attributed to norms of son preference and gender-biased prenatal sex-

selective practices.

China and India together account for about 90 to 95% of the estimated 1.2 to 1.5 million missing

female births annually worldwide due to gender-biased prenatal sex selective practices.

Sources Referred

➢ The Indian Express







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➢ Dristi IAS

➢ Vision IAS

➢ Jagran Josh

➢ Insight India

➢ Civils Daily




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