POLITY AND GOVERNANCE                                                        

1. Cong MP submits privilege notice against Union minister Smriti Irani   

2. Odisha Government launches 'Jalsathi' programme to supply safe drinking                                                                                           

3. Section 144, a vestige of colonial rule                                                

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS                                                   

1. second annual India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue                               

2. U.S. House impeaches Donald Trump for abuse of power                  

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY                                                     

1. How cars can run on hydrogen fuel cell                                             

SECURITY                                                                                         

1. DRDO successfully flight-tests Pinaka Missile                                  

2. Exercise 'Apharan'                                                                         

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

Cong MP submits privilege notice against Union minister Smriti Irani

GS PAPER - 02 POLITY - Parliament and State Legislatures - structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.

Context :

• Recently,a Privilege Motion has been moved against the Union Textile Minister in the Lok Sabha.

Privilege Motion:

• Parliamentary privileges are certain rights and immunities enjoyed by members of Parliament, individually and collectively so that they can effectively discharge their functions.

• When any of these rights and immunities are disregarded,the offence is called a breach of privilege and is punishable under law of Parliament.

Who can move it? How?

• A notice is moved in the form of a motion by any member of either House against those being held guilty of breach of privilege.

• Each House also claims the right to punish as contempt actions which, while not breach of any specific privilege, are offences against its authority and dignity.

Role of the Speaker/Rajya Sabha Chair:

• The Speaker/RS chairperson is the first level of scrutiny of a privilege motion.

• The Speaker/Chair can decide on the privilege motion himself or herself or refer it to the privileges committee of Parliament.

• If the Speaker/Chair gives consent, the member concerned is given an opportunity to make a short statement.

• A large number of notices has also been rejected with penal action recommended in only a few.

Privileges committee:

• In the Lok Sabha,the Speaker nominates a committee of privileges consisting of 15 members as per respective party strengths. A report is then presented to the House for its consideration.

• The Speaker may permit a half-hour debate while considering the report. The Speaker may then pass final orders or direct that the report be tabled before the House.

• A resolution may then be moved relating to the breach of privilege that has to be unanimously passed.

                                                                                                                                     Source :- The Hindu

Odisha Government launches 'Jalsathi' programme to supply safe drinking

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Context :

• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the 'Jalsathi' programme which will ensure supply of safe drinking water to all households in the state.

Jalsathi programme:

• The JalSathi programme aims to ensure the supply of clean drinking water to consumers through piped water connections.

• The Odisha government has roped in women volunteers to serve the people as ‘Jalasathis’.This will help boost the economic empowerment of women in the state.

• Under the programme, over 5,000 women will be engaged in Odisha to supply safe drinking water.

• The Jalasathis will be responsible for testing of water quality, facilitating new water connections and regularising connections, reassessing of demands, reading of meter, bill generation and delivery, collection of water charges and facilitating complaints redressal.

• The programme will be initially implemented in eight wards of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation under the 5T initiative of the Housing and Urban Development.

                                                                                                                                Source :- Business Standard

Section 144, a vestige of colonial rule

GS PAPER - 02 POLITY - Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

Context :

• As protesters against the Citizenship Amendment Act hit the streets in large numbers in several states on Thursday (December 19), state governments sought to tamp down on the demonstrations by issuing prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code Of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973.

Section 144:

• Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code(CrPC) of 1973 authorizes the Executive Magistrate of any state or territory to issue an order to prohibit the assembly of four or more people in an area.

• It is imposed in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger of some event that has the potential to cause trouble or damage to human life or property.

Powers under Section 144:

• The magistrate can direct any person to abstain from a certain act or to take a certain order with respect to certain property in his possession or under his management.

• The Section also restricts carrying any sort of weapon in that area where it has been imposed and people can be detained for violating it.The maximum punishment for such an act is three years.

• Moreover,obstructing law enforcement agencies from dispersing an unlawful assembly is a punishable offence.Section 144 also empowers the authorities to block the internet access.

• However, this section can also be used to restrict even a single individual.Such an order is passed when the magistrate considers that it is likely to prevent obstruction, annoyance or injury to any person among others.

Duration of Section 144 order :

• No order under Section 144 shall remain in force for more than two months but the state government can extend the validity for two months and a maximum of up to six months.

• However,it can be withdrawn at any point of time if the situation becomes normal.

Court rule on Section 144 :

• In Ram Manohar Lohia case in 1967, the Supreme Court held that no democracy can exist if public order is freely allowed to be disturbed by a section of the citizens.

• In Madhu Limaye vs Sub-Divisional Magistrate case 1970,the court had said that law may be abused.But it is not a  reason to strike it down.

• It further ruled that the restrictions imposed through Section 144 cannot be held to be violative of the right to freedom of speech and expression. The imposition of Section 144 falls under the reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2) of the Constitution.

• In 2012,the Supreme Court criticised the government for imposing Section 144 against a sleeping crowd in Ramlila Maidan.The court held that such a provision can be used only in grave circumstances for maintenance of public peace.

                                                                                                            Source :- The Hindu; Indian Express

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

second annual India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue

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

Context :

• Second annual India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue is the highest-level institutional mechanism between the two countries and provides for a review of the security, defence and strategic partnership between India and the United States.

More in the news :

• Military Cooperation :

  • At the Dialogue, both sides also committed to further deepen military-to-military cooperation, including between the Indian Navy and the US Navy Fleets under US Indo-Pacific Command, Central Command, and Africa Command.

  • They also intend to expand similar cooperation between their respective Armies and Air Forces.

  • A number of other initiatives to enhance military-to-military cooperation were also agreed upon.

• Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) programme:

  • Priority initiatives have been identified for execution under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) programme.

  • The two sides also concluded a standard operating procedure for this process.

  • These measures are expected to provide momentum to collaboration between the private defence industries of both India and the US.

  • The two sides also agreed to move forward in their engagement in the area of defence innovation.

                                                                                                               Source :- PIB

U.S. House impeaches Donald Trump for abuse of power

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

Context :

• Donald Trump has become the third President in US history to be impeached as the House of Representatives formally charged him with abuse of power and obstructing the Congress.

More in the news :

• The Democratic-led House’s passage of two articles of impeachment sets the stage for a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate on whether or not to convict and remove him from office.

  • Trump, 73, is accused of abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden, a leading contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, as well as a discredited theory that Democrats conspired with Ukraine to meddle in the 2016 election. Also, for withholding $391 million in military aid.

  • The second article accused Mr. Trump of obstruction of Congress by directing administration officials and agencies not to comply with lawful House subpoenas (witness summons) for testimony and documents.

• No President in the 243-year history of the U.S. has been removed from office by impeachment. That would require a two-thirds majority in the 100-member Senate, meaning at least 20 Republicans would have to join the Democrats in voting against Mr. Trump.

Is Trump out of office?

• Impeachment by the House doesn’t remove an American President from office immediately.

• Impeachment means a majority of House Representatives have approved the articles raised against the President, setting the stage for his trial in the Senate.

• After the trial, the Senators will vote on his conviction.

Then why the impeachment?

• Democrats say it is their constitutional duty to start the impeachment proceedings as the President’s actions threaten the Constitution.

• The underlying message is that as the next election is less than a year away, the voters can decide whether they want to re-elect a President who has been impeached by the House.

• It’s also about bad legacy for Mr. Trump. He’s gone down in history as the third President to be impeached in the U.S. — the first was Andrew Johnson in 1868 after a showdown with Congress over his dismissal of the Secretary of War and the second was Bill Clinton in 1998-99 over the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Both were acquitted in the Senate.

• Former President Richard Nixon, embroiled in the Watergate scandal, resigned in 1974 before the impeachment proceedings could begin.

                                                                                                                                   Source :- The Hindu

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

How cars can run on hydrogen fuel cell

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology

Context :

• Supreme Court has asked government to look into the feasibility of hydrogen-based tech to deal with vehicular air pollution in capital.

SECURITY

DRDO successfully flight-tests Pinaka Missile

GS PAPER - 03 SECURITY - Achievement of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology ; Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

Context :

• Pinaka Missile System developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was successfully flight-tested from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the Odisha coast.

Pinaka Missile System:

• Pinaka is a multiple rocket launcher system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

• The Pinaka is an Artillery Missile System capable of striking into enemy territory up to a range of 75 kilometres with high precision.

• The Pinaka MK-II Rocket is modified as a missile by integrating with the Navigation, Control and Guidance System to improve the end accuracy and enhance the range.

• The Navigation system of the missile is also aided by the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).          

                                                                                                                                                  Source :- PIB

Exercise 'Apharan'

GS PAPER - 03 SECURITY - Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

Context :

• The Indian Navy in collaboration with Indian Coast Guard has conducted a large scale Anti Hijacking Exercise named Exercise Apharan at the Port of Kochi,Kerala.

Exercise Apharan:

• The exercise was aimed at streamlining the response mechanism to thwart any attempt by anti-national elements to hijack a merchant vessel or attempt forced entry of a rogue/commandeered merchant vessel into Kochi harbour.

• It saw the participation of multiple agencies including more than 12 ships and helicopters of the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and Cochin Port Trust.

• The exercise allowed all stakeholders to assess the preparedness of their organisations, identify gaps to address them on priority and formulate an integrated Crisis Management Plan for Kochi Port.

• The need for anti-hijacking exercises is particularly important for India which suffered from an attack from the sea during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

                                                                                                                                                 Source :- PIB

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------