ART AND CULTURE                                                                           

1. 20th Edition of Hornbill Festival begins in Nagaland                            

SOCIAL ISSUES                                                                                   

1. Laws in place to tackle illegal non-citizens                                         

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE                                                             

1. Inner Line Permit system, and northeast states’ concerns over it        

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS                                                          

1. 6 European nations join Iran barter system                                       

ECONOMY                                                                                             

1. To track economic offenders, India to collate e-database                   

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY                                                     

1. Operation ‘Clean Art’ to crackdown on illegal trade in mongoose hair  

2. Tipeshwar tiger covers 1,300km to reach Dnyanganga sanctuary     

SECURITY                                                                                           

1. Exercise Mitra Shakti -VII: 2019                                                      

ART AND CULTURE

20th Edition of Hornbill Festival begins in Nagaland

GS PAPER - 01 ART AND CULTURE - Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

Context :

• The 20th Edition of Hornbill Festival has started in the state of Nagaland.

Hornbill festival:

• The Hornbill Festival is a celebration held every year in Nagaland.

  • The festival is also called the ‘Festival of Festivals’.

• The festival is organized by the Nagaland State Tourism and Art & Culture Departments.

• The festival aims to encourage inter-tribal interaction and to promote culture through colourful performances, crafts, sports, food fairs, games and ceremonies.

• The festival is named after the Great Indian hornbill,the large and colourful forest bird which is displayed in the folklore of most of the state’s tribes.

• The festival was established in 1963 and was inaugurated by the then President Dr. S Radhakrishnan.

  • The festival was held for the first time in 2000.

                                                                                                                                 Source :- AIR

SOCIAL ISSUES

Laws in place to tackle illegal non-citizens

GS PAPER - 01 SOCIAL ISSUES - population and associated issues

Context :

• Recently, the Home Minister informed in the Rajya Sabha that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be implemented across India, and repeated again in Assam.

Existing Legal Framework :

• The clause for the expulsion of foreigners:

  • Foreigners Act, 1864

    • It was the first enactment made for dealing with foreigners that provided for the expulsion of foreigners.

    • It also allowed arrest, detention, and for a ban on foreigners entry into India after detention.

• Introduction of Passport:

  • The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920

    • The act empowered the government to make rules requiring persons entering India to be in possession of passports.

    • It also granted the government the power to remove from India any person who entered without a passport.

• Concept of ‘burden of proof’ lies with the person, and not with the authorities:

  • Foreigners Act, 1940

    • It was enacted during the Second World War, under which the concept of “burden of proof” was introduced.

    • This meant that whenever a question arose with regard to the nationality of a person, the onus of proving that he was not a foreigner lay upon the person.

  • Foreigners Act, 1946

    • It replaced the Foreigners Act, 1940 conferring wide powers to deal with all foreigners.

    • The act empowered the government to take such steps as are necessary to prevent illegal migrants including the use of force.

    • The concept of ‘burden of proof’ lies with the person, and not with the authorities given by this act is still applicable in all States and Union Territories. This concept has been upheld by a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court.

    • The act empowered the government to establish tribunals which would have powers similar to those of a civil court.

    • Recent amendments (2019) to the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964 empowered even district magistrates in all States and Union Territories to set up tribunals to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not.

• Increased burden of migrants because of absence of the “ burden of a proof ” clause:

  • Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, 1983

    • The absence of any provision related to the ‘burden of proof’ in the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, 1983 put a very heavy burden upon the authorities to establish whether a person is an illegal migrant.

    • Moreover, a number of non-Indians who may have entered Assam after March 25, 1971, without possession of valid documents, continued to reside in Assam.

    • The act was struck down by the Supreme Court in Sarbananda Sonowal v. Union of India (2005).The Supreme Court also closed all tribunals in Assam functioning under the Act.

    • The Supreme Court, then, transferred all pending cases at the IMDT tribunals to the Foreigners Tribunals constituted under the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964.

                                                                                                                         Source :- The Hindu

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

Inner Line Permit system, and northeast states’ concerns over it

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure

Context :

• Union Home minister has said that the Citizenship Amendment Bill,2016 would provide protection to such regions and states where the Inner Line Permit (ILP) is applicable.

Inner Line Permit (ILP) :

• Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel document issued by the government of India.It is required by Indian citizens residing outside certain protected states while entering them.

• The aim of the ILP is to regulate movement to certain areas located near the international border of India.

• The origin of ILP dates back to the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873.

• The regulations prohibited British subjects or Indians from entering certain protection areas (such as areas with tea, oil and elephant trade). In 1950, the word British subjects was replaced by Citizens of India.

• Currently,the ILP is in force in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland.

Citizenship amendment bill  and Inner Line Permit(ILP):

• The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill aims to make it easier for non-Muslim refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to obtain Indian citizenship.

• If the bill is implemented with provisions for excluding from its ambit the states under the ILP regime, it means that beneficiaries under CAB will become Indian citizens but will not be able to settle in these three states.

                                                                                                                       Source :- The Hindu

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

6 European nations join Iran barter system

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora.

Context :

• Recently,six European countries have joined the barter mechanism called INSTEX which is designed to circumvent US sanctions against trade with Iran by avoiding the use of dollars.

Background :

• In 2018, the U.S. withdrew from the international agreement governing Iran’s nuclear programme and reinstated heavy sanctions against Tehran.

INSTEX:

• The Instrument In Support Of Trade Exchanges(INSTEX) is a payment mechanism set up by the governments of France, Germany and Britain to secure trade with Iran and circumvent US sanctions.

• This mechanism was established after the US had pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and reinstated sanctions on Iran.

• It is registered at Paris,France with an initial 3,000 Euros in the capital and a supervisory board with members from France and Germany and chaired by the UK.

• The mechanism is expected to receive the formal endorsement of all 28 EU members.

Working of INSTEX :

• The new entity acts as a sort of euro-denominated clearing house for Iran to conduct trade with European companies.

• In effect, the new trading mechanism works as a barter arrangement operating outside of the US-dominated global financial system.

• However, initially it will be used for non-sanctionable trade including humanitarian goods such as medicine, food and medical devices.

Significance :

• This mechanism is the first concrete step by the EU to counter Trump’s unilateral decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal.

• The backing of France, Germany and Britain to this mechanism could help reduce the likelihood of further U.S. sanctions.It may also encourage the private companies to join the mechanism.

                                                                                                                      Source :- The Hindu

ECONOMY

To track economic offenders, India to collate e-database

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context :

• The Central Government is preparing a comprehensive database of economic offenders called the National Economic Offence Records(NEOR).

National Economic Offence Records(NEOR)   :

• The National Economic Offence Records(NEOR) will be a web portal that will disseminate information to grassroots level officers of enforcement and investigating agencies.

• The database will help in coordinated actions by multiple agencies against corrupt officials and corporate houses indulging in financial frauds and money laundering.

• The database is being prepared by the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB),an arm of the finance ministry along with National Informatics Centre(NIC).

Agencies included in the database :

• All agencies including CBI, Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax, Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence have been asked to regularly update the portal from their nationwide offices.

• In addition to central agencies, the economic offences wing of state police and other agencies will also have to participate in the NEOR.

• The individual database of these agencies will be automatically incorporated into the NEOR through specific software application.

Present Mechanism :

• Currently,the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) runs a captive database called Secured Information Exchange Network(SIEN).

• The SEIN operates on intranet (not available online) and information on economic offenders are shared with headquarters of 13 select central agencies.

                                                                                                                  Source :- Economic Times

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

Operation ‘Clean Art’ to crackdown on illegal trade in mongoose hair

GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY - Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Context :

• Recently,Operation Clean Art was conducted in India to ensure that the mongoose hair brush trade be closed down across the country.

  • Brushes made of mongoose hair are preferred because they are superior and hold colour better.

Operation clean Art :

It is the first pan India operation to crackdown on the smuggling of mongoose hair in the country.

• There are six species of mongoose found in India and in the raids mostly recovered [in the raids] grey mongoose [hair].

• Operation Clean Art was conceived by World Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) with the singular aim of ensuring that the mongoose hair brush trade should be closed down across the country.

                                                                                                                       Source :- The Hindu

Tipeshwar tiger covers 1,300km to reach Dnyanganga sanctuary

GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY - Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Context :

• Recently a tiger travelled 1300 km distance between Maharashtra and Telangana passing through Dnyanganga Wildlife Sanctuary and Tipeshwar Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra.

Dnyanganga Wildlife Sanctuary :

• The Dnyanganga Sanctuary is situated in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra.

• It is a part of the Melghat Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra.

• It is located near the Dnyanganga River which is a tributary of the Tapti River.

                                                                                                                          Source :- Indian Express

SECURITY

Exercise Mitra Shakti -VII: 2019

GS PAPER - 03 SECURITY - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests

Context :

• The 7th edition of India-Sri Lanka joint training exercise, Exercise ‘Mitra Shakti 2019’ is scheduled to be conducted at the Foreign Training Node (FTN) in Pune in December 2019.

Exercise Mitra Shakti:

• The exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability and operational efficiency amongst the armies of both India and Sri Lanka when deployed as part of the United Nations peacekeeping forces.

• The objective of the exercise is to build and promote positive relations between armies of India and Sri Lanka through focus on sub unit-level training on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in urban and rural environment under the United Nations mandate.

• The joint training exercise also signifies the strength of India-Sri Lanka relations in the field of military cooperation and engagement, which is vital for refining the interoperability and operational preparedness.

• The joint exercise is designed for incorporating the current dynamics of the United Nations peacekeeping operations through practical and comprehensive discussions and tactical exercises.

• The primary focus of the joint training exercise will remain on field craft, battle drills and procedures as also the ability to operate jointly with seamless interoperability.

• India and Sri Lanka have collaborated on several counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations over the years. The two sides have a long history of military cooperation.

                                                                                                                              Source :- PIB

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