Centre plans 10% quota for the poor

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

Context:

        ★ The Union cabinet has approved a ten per cent reservation in jobs and higher education for "economically backward" sections in the general category.

Proposed amendment bill:

        ★ The Union Cabinet on 07 Jan approved a 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections in the General category.

        ★ The quota is for jobs for those belonging to the weaker sections among the upper caste.

        ★ The reservation can also be availed for admission in higher educational institutions.

        ★ The proposed reservation will be over and above the existing 50 per cent reservation enjoyed by the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Other Backward Classes, taking the total reservation to 60 per cent.

        ★ The government will amend Articles 15 and 16 - which are on discrimination and equal opportunity - of the Constitution to implement it .

Who all are eligible?

       ★ People who earn less than Rs 8 lakh annually

       ★ People who have agricultural land below five acres

       ★ For availing the quota, a residential house should be below 1000 sq ft

       ★ The residential plot should be below 100 yards in notified municipality

       ★ The residential plot below 200 yards should be in a non-notified municipality area

Legal Test:

      ★ The Constitution does not recognize the economic criteria for backwardness, which makes it doubtful whether this move will stand the testimony of the court even if it does become a legislation now.

      ★ If, it is possible to amend the constitution, But then it is a different issue. It will also raise a larger question as the Supreme Court has said, that as it is, the reservation cannot exceed 50% of the total quota.

      ★ The Supreme Court in its judgement said that they cannot construct the 10% reservation for economically backward for one simple reason, that the Constitution defines backward as only socially and educationally backward.

                                                                                                                                   Source:- The Hindu

Navy to set up new air base in Port Blair

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

Context:

       ★ India has ramped up its defence installations in the Andaman and Nicobar islands near the Strait of Malacca through which 70 percent of merchant vessels pass.

       ★ The base INS Kohasa will give a boost to the defence.

New Air base:

       ★ The Indian Navy will commission the new Base - INS Kohassa on January 24 in Shibpur area of North Andaman of the Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands.

       ★ This will be India’s fourth air base and the third naval air facility in the archipelago

Significance:

      ★ The Base is in consonance with the government’s act east policy.

      ★ This will provide flexibility to the Indian Aircraft and ships in case of any emergency.

Strategic importance:

         ★ The new air base of INS Kohasa will give boost to the Defence, it will  also help -  countering  the ever-increasing presence of the Chinese Navy in the Indo-Pacific region.

         ★ The region is important for Navy’s plan to consolidate its control in the Indian Ocean region.

         ★ The Indian Ocean Region is vital to world trade and economic prosperity of many nations as more than 75% of the world’s maritime trade and 50% of global oil consumption passes through the IOR.

         ★ India has ramped up its defence installations in the Andaman and Nicobar islands near the Strait of Malacca and Six degree channel.

                                                                                                                                      Source:- The Hindu

Leprosy is no longer a ground for divorce

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

Context:

        ★ Lok Sabha has passed The Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018, which aims to omit leprosy as a ground for divorce from various Acts governing marriage in India.

The Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018:

       ★ The Bill seeks to remove leprosy as a grounds for seeking divorce or separation. 

       ★ It seeks to amend provisions related to divorce and separation in five Acts.  These are (i) the Divorce Act, 1869, (ii) the Dissolution of Muslim Marriage Act, 1939, (iii) the Special Marriage Act, 1954, (iv) the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, and (v) the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956.

Reasons behind the Amendment:

      ★ Leprosy as ground for divorce is a “discriminatory” provision for a disease that is now curable.

      ★ The United Nations General Assembly adopted a Resolution in 2010 on the ‘Elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members’. 

              ☆ India has signed and ratified the said Resolution.

     ★ The Human Rights Commission and judgements of various courts had also underlined the need to amend the laws to remove this discrimination.

     ★ The 20th Law Commission of India in its 256th Report titled “Eliminating Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy”, also recommended for removing the discriminatory        provisions in various statutes against the persons affected with leprosy

     ★ Recently, the Supreme Court has, directed the Union Government as well as the State Governments to take necessary steps for rehabilitation and integration of the leprosy affected persons into the mainstream including the steps to repeal the provisions where leprosy has been treated as a stigmatic disability.

              ☆ The PIL filed by Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy averred that at least one hundred and nineteen statutes (both Central and State) discriminate against patients affected by the disease and that the same are violative of Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution.

                                                                                                                                     Source:- The Hindu

SC notice to EC on VVPAT verification

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation           

Context:

        ★ A Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, has issued a notice to the Election Commission seeking its response to a plea that demanded counting and cross-verification of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPAT) in at least 30% of all polling stations within an assembly constituency.

More about the news:

             ★ According to the petition filed, the fraction of polling stations chosen for random cross-verification has been very low (less than 1% of polling stations in each constituency).

             ★ The petitioners argue that this is arbitrary, irrational, unreasonable and in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution

             ★ The petition contends that such cross-verification and counting of VVPAT slips is essential in the interest of democratic principles— that elections should be transparent, should be subject to public scrutiny and should be verifiable.

                                                                                                                         Source:- The Hindu

SC shocked as Section 66A of IT Act is still invoked

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation

Context:

        ★ In a plea highlighting the continued use of the scrapped Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, the Supreme Court on 7 January expressed shock and sought the response of the Central government.

More about the news:

             ★ The PUCL said Section 66A, which restricted free expression online, continued to survive and occasionally found a place in the FIRs registered by the police in complete contravention of the Supreme Court judgment in the Shreya Singhal case.

             ★ The Petitioner contended that, more than 22 prosecutions had taken place under the provision since the Supreme Court’s March 2015 verdict.

Background:

              ★ Supreme Court in a landmark judgment Shreya Singhal V Union of India struck down section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 which provided provisions for the arrest of those who posted allegedly offensive content on the internet upholding freedom of expression.

             ★ SC held that Sec 66A is unconstitutional and void on the ground that it was excessively vague, open-ended and undefined.

             ★ SC in its judgment said , the Section 66A was contrary to both Articles 19 (free speech) and 21 (right to life) of the Constitution.

             ★ The entire provision was struck down by the court.

                                                                                                                                         Source:- The Hindu

National Policy on Domestic Workers

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

Context:

         ★ The ministry of labour & employment is considering formulate a National Policy on Domestic Workers which is in the draft stage.

National Policy on Domestic Workers:

Aim:

       ★ To protect the domestic workers from abuse, harassment, violence and guarantee them rights in the matter of social security and minimum wages. The policy also includes social security cover and provisions against sexual harassment and bonded labour.

Features:

       ★ Inclusion of Domestic Workers in the existing legislations

       ★ Domestic workers will have the right to register as unorganized   workers. Such registration will facilitate their access to rights & benefits.

       ★ Right to form their own associations/unions

       ★ Right to minimum wages, access to social security

       ★ Right to enhance their skills

       ★ Protection of Domestic Workers from abuse and exploitation

       ★ Domestic Workers to have access to courts, tribunals for grievance redressal

       ★ Establishment of a mechanism for regulation of private placement agencies.

       ★ Establishment of a grievance redressal system for domestic workers.

                                                                                                                                                     Source:- PIB

Regulation of Functions of MSMEs

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation

Context:

          ★ In order to promote the Ease of Doing Business, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has introduced various initiatives including online filing of UdyogAadhaar Memorandum (UAM).

          ★ To regulating the functions of the MSMEs, the Government has enacted the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development (MSMED) Act, which is applicable to all the States and Union Territories.

Steps taken :

          ★ MSME SAMADHAAN Portal- for empowering micro and small entrepreneurs across the country to directly register their cases relating to delayed payments.

          ★ MSME SAMBANDH Portal- to help in monitoring the implementation of public procurement policy for micro and small enterprises.

          ★ MSME SAMPARK Portal – A digital platform wherein jobseekers (passed out trainees/students of MSME Technology Centres) and recruiters get connected.

          ★ Digital Payments- to pass on the benefits of the schemes of Ministry of MSME through digital payment gateway.

                                                                                                                               Source:- PIB

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