Cabinet approves MoU between ISRO and the Bolivian Space Agency                 

Memorandum of Understanding between India and Bahrain                                  

National Conference on e-Governance                                                                      

Consumer Protection Bill                                                                                            

Lok Sabha pushes ahead with labour reforms, passes wage code bill                  

TOI 270 – NASA finds a new planetary system about 73 light years away from earth                                                                                                                               

India’s fertilizer sector among most energy efficient in the world: Report            

Cabinet approves MoU between ISRO and the Bolivian Space Agency

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests

Context :

• The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Bolivia on Cooperation in the Exploration and Uses of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes".

More in the news:

• This MoU shall enable the following potential interest areas of cooperation such as,

  • space science,

  • technology and

  • applications including remote sensing of the earth;

  • satellite communication and satellite based navigation;

  • Space science and planetary exploration;

  • use of spacecraft and space systems and ground system; and application of space technology.

• This MoU would lead to setup a Joint Working Group, drawing members from ISRO and the Bolivian Space Agency (ABE), which will further work out the plan of action including the time-frame and the means of implementing this MoU.

Impact:

• It will provide impetus to explore newer research activities and application possibilities in the field of remote sensing of the earth; satellite communication; satellite navigation; space science and planetary exploration.

• It would lead to develop a joint activity in the field of application of space technologies for the benefit of humanity.  Thus all sections and regions of the country will get benefited.

                                                                                                                                                                   Source :- PIB

Memorandum of Understanding between India and Bahrain

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests

Context :

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was apprised about the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between India and Bahrain on Cooperation in the Exploration and Uses of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes.

More in the news:

• This MoU shall enable the following potential interest areas of cooperation such as,

  • space science, technology and applications including remote sensing of the earth;

  • satellite communication and satellite based navigation;

  • Space science and planetary exploration;

  • use of spacecraft and space systems and ground system; and application of space technology.

• This MoU would lead to set up a Joint Working Group, drawing members from DOS/ISRO and the Bahrain National Space Science Agency (NSSA) of the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Impact :

• It will provide impetus to explore newer research activities and application possibilities in the field of remote sensing of the earth; satellite communication; satellite navigation; space science and exploration of outer space.

• The MoU would lead to develop a joint activity in the field of application of space technologies for the benefit of humanity.  Thus, all sections and regions of the country will get benefited.

                                                                                                                              Source :- PIB

National Conference on e-Governance

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential;

Context :

• The Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG), in association with Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India will organize the 22nd National Conference on e-Governance 2019 at Shillong, Meghalaya.

22nd National Conference on e-Governance 2019 :

• Meghalaya will host the 22nd National Conference on e-Governance 2019.

• Theme of the conference is “Digital India: Success to Excellence”.

Key Discussion in the 22nd National Conference :

• India Enterprise Architecture (INDEA)

• Digital Infrastructure

• One Nation – One Platform

• Secretariat Reforms

• National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA)

More in the news:

• This is the first time that National Conference on e-Governance is being organized in North-Eastern region of the country.

• The conference provides a platform to disseminate knowledge on effective methods of designing and implementing sustainable e-Governance initiatives to provide end-to-end:
   

  • Digital Services

  • Exchange experiences in solving problems

  • Mitigating risks

  • Resolving issues and planning for success.

                                                                                                                               Source :- PIB

Consumer Protection Bill 

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Context :

• The Lok Sabha has passed the Consumer Protection Bill 2019, which seeks to give enhanced protection to interests of consumers and timely settlement of their grievances.

Key Features :

• Definition of consumer:

  • A consumer is defined as a person who buys any good or avails a service for a consideration.

  • It does not include a person who obtains a good for resale or a good or service for commercial purpose.

  • It covers transactions through all modes including offline, and online through electronic means, teleshopping, multi-level marketing or direct selling.

• Rights of consumers:Six consumer rights have been defined in the Bill, including the right to:

  • be protected against marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life and property;

  • be informed of the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods or services;

  • be assured of access to a variety of goods or services at competitive prices; and

  • seek redressal against unfair or restrictive trade practices.

• Central Consumer Protection Authority:

  • The central government will set up a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers.

  • It will regulate matters related to violation of consumer rights, unfair trade practices, and misleading advertisements.

  • The CCPA will have an investigation wing, headed by a Director-General, which may conduct inquiry or investigation into such violations.

• CCPA will carry out the following functions, including:

  • inquiring into violations of consumer rights, investigating and launching prosecution at the appropriate forum;

  • passing orders to recall goods or withdraw services that are hazardous, reimbursement of the price paid, and discontinuation of the unfair trade practices, as defined in the Bill;

  • issuing directions to the concerned trader/ manufacturer/ endorser/ advertiser/ publisher to either discontinue a false or misleading advertisement, or modify it;

  • imposing penalties, and;

  • issuing safety notices to consumers against unsafe goods and services.

• Penalties for misleading advertisement:

  • The CCPA may impose a penalty on a manufacturer or an endorser of up to Rs 10 lakh and imprisonment for up to two years for a false or misleading advertisement.

  •  In case of a subsequent offence, the fine may extend to Rs 50 lakh and imprisonment of up to five years.

• Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission:Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (CDRCs) will be set up at the district, state, and national levels.

• A consumer can file a complaint with CDRCs in relation to:

•  unfair or restrictive trade practices;

• defective goods or services;

•  overcharging or deceptive charging; and

• the offering of goods or services for sale which may be hazardous to life and safety.

• Jurisdiction of CDRCs:

  • The District CDRC will entertain complaints where value of goods and services does not exceed Rs one crore. 

  • The State CDRC will entertain complaints when the value is more than Rs one crore but does not exceed Rs 10 crore. 

  • Complaints with value of goods and services over Rs 10 crore will be entertained by the National CDRC.

• Product liability:

  • Product liability means the liability of a product manufacturer, service provider or seller to compensate a consumer for any harm or injury caused by a defective good or deficient service. 

  • To claim compensation, a consumer has to prove any one of the conditions for defect or deficiency, as given in the Bill.

                                                                                                                       Source :- The Hindu

Lok Sabha pushes ahead with labour reforms, passes wage code bill

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Context :

• Recently, the Lok Sabha has passed the Code on Wages Bill, 2019.

Code on Wages Bill 2019 :

• The bill aims to transform the old and obsolete labour laws into more accountable and transparent ones and seeks to pave the way for the introduction of minimum wages and labour reforms in the country.

• It seeks to regulate wage and bonus payments in all employments where any industry, trade, business, or manufacture is carried out. 

• The Code replaces the following four laws:

  • the Payment of Wages Act, 1936,

  • the Minimum Wages Act, 1948,

  • the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, and

  • the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.

Key Features :

• Coverage:

  • The Code will apply to all employees.

  • The central government will make wage-related decisions for employment such as railways, mines, and oil fields, among others. State governments will make decisions for all other employments.

• Wages include salary, allowance, or any other component expressed in monetary terms.

  • This does not include bonus payable to employees or any travelling allowance, among others.

• Floor wage:

  • According to the Code, the central government will fix a floor wage, taking into account the living standards of workers. 

  • Further, it may set different floor wages for different geographical areas. 

  • Before fixing the floor wage, the central government may obtain the advice of the Central Advisory Board and may consult with state governments.  

• The minimum wages decided by the central or state governments must be higher than the floor wage. In case the existing minimum wages fixed by the central or state governments are higher than the floor wage, they cannot reduce the minimum wages.

• Fixing the minimum wage:

  • The Code prohibits employers from paying wages less than the minimum wages. 

  • Minimum wages will be notified by the central or state governments. 

  • This will be based on time, or number of pieces produced. 

  • The minimum wages will be revised and reviewed by the central or state governments at an interval of not more than five years. 

  • While fixing minimum wages, the central or state governments may take into account factors such as: (i) skill of workers, and (ii) difficulty of work.

• Overtime:

  • The central or state government may fix the number of hours that constitute a normal working day. 

  • In case employees work in excess of a normal working day, they will be entitled to overtime wage, which must be at least twice the normal rate of wages.  

• Payment of wages:

  • Wages will be paid in coins, currency notes,  by cheque, by crediting to the bank account, or through electronic mode. 

  • The wage period will be fixed by the employer as either: daily, weekly,  fortnightly, or monthly.

• Deductions:

  • Under the Code, an employee’s wages may be deducted on certain grounds including:

  • fines, absence from duty, accommodation given by the employer, or  recovery of advances given to the employee, among others. 

  • These deductions should not exceed 50% of the employee’s total wage.

• Determination of bonus:

  • All employees whose wages do not exceed a specific monthly amount, notified by the central or state government, will be entitled to an annual bonus. 

  • The bonus will be at least: (i) 8.33% of his wages, or (ii) Rs 100, whichever is higher.  In addition, the employer will distribute a part of the gross profits amongst the employees. 

  • This will be distributed in proportion to the annual wages of an employee.  An employee can receive a maximum bonus of 20% of his annual wages.

• Gender discrimination:

  • The Code prohibits gender discrimination in matters related to wages and recruitment of employees for the same work or work of similar nature. 

  • Work of similar nature is defined as work for which the skill, effort, experience, and responsibility required are the same. 

• Advisory boards: The central and state governments will constitute advisory boards. 

  • The Central Advisory Board will consist of: (i) employers, (ii) employees (in equal number as employers), (iii) independent persons, and (iv) five representatives of state governments. 

  • State Advisory Boards will consist of employers, employees, and independent persons.  Further, one-third of the total members on both the central and state Boards will be women.

  • The Boards will advise the respective governments on various issues including: (i) fixation of minimum wages, and (ii) increasing employment opportunities for women.

• Offences: The Code specifies penalties for offences committed by an employer, such as

  •  paying less than the due wages, or

  • for contravening any provision of the Code.

 Penalties vary depending on the nature of offence, with the maximum penalty being imprisonment for three months along with a fine of up to one lakh rupees.

                                                                                                                       Source :- The Hindu

TOI 270 – NASA finds a new planetary system about 73 light years away from earth

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Awareness in the fields of Space.

Context :

• NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has recently discovered a new planetary system.

  • It has been named as TOI 270.

TESS Object of Interest (TOI) 270 :

• TOI 270 is about 73 light years away from Earth, and is located in the constellation Pictor (Pictor is a constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere).

• TOI 270 system comprises of the dwarf star (TOI 270), which is 40% smaller than the Sun in size and mass and three new exoplanets planets (planets outside the solar system):
   

  • TOI 270 b: It is the innermost planet, and is likely a rocky planet about 25% larger than Earth.
     

    • It orbits the TOI 270 (dwarf star) every 3.4 days at a distance of about 13 times closer than that of Mercury orbiting the Sun.

    • TOI 270 b has a mass of around 1.9 times greater than Earth’s mass.

    • Due to its proximity to the star, planet b is an oven-hot planet and is not habitable.

  • TOI 270 c: It is 2.4 times larger than Earth, orbits the star every 5.7 days and weigh around 7 times Earth’s mass.

  • TOI 270 d: It is 2.1 times larger than Earth, orbits the star every 11.4 days and weigh around 5 times Earth’s mass.

• TOI 270 c and TOI 270 d both may be similar to Neptune in our solar system, with compositions dominated by gasesrather than rock.
   

  • They might best be described as mini-Neptunes, a type of planet not seen in our own solar system.

• All of the planets in the TOI 270 system are expected to be tidally locked to the star, which means the planet's period of rotation on its axis is same as its period of revolution around the star and keep the same side facing the star at all times, just as the Moon does in its orbit around Earth.

• TOI 270 system will provide better understand about the formation and evolution of planetary systems.

• The TOI 270 system is so compact that the orbits of Jupiter and its moons in our own solar system offer the closest reasonable comparison.

                                                                                                                  Source :- Indian Express

India’s fertilizer sector among most energy efficient in the world: Report

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

Context :

• Centre for Science and Environment(CSE) has released a report titled – ‘Grain by Grain’.

  • The project was undertaken by CSE along with its Green rating project(GRP).

Key Highlights :

• The report has found that the country’s fertilizer sector is among the best in the world in energy use and greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions.

• However,the fertiliser industries staggering records on water use,water pollution and plant safety is a cause of concern.

• The report has also found that the areas surrounding at least one-third of the fertiliser plants found to have very high levels of nitrogen in groundwater.

• This was mainly because as part of their mandate to recycle used-water, the plants were using it for watering horticulture and other crops in their premises.This has lead to nitrogen seeping into the water table.

• Further,another major concern was the age of the India’s fertiliser plants.

  • The report has said that most plants need to upgrade their on-site and off-site disaster management plans and communicate them to the concerned authorities and the local community.

                                                                                                     Source :- The Times of India

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