Species : Habrocestum longispinum , Jumping spider

 

News Flash

A new species of jumping spider spotted for the first time in Ernakulam’s Illithodu forests.

• The spider belongs to the genus (a taxonomic classification above species) Habrocestum species. This variety of spider mostly occur in Eurasia and Africa.

 

Highlights

• These are better known as ground-dwelling spiders.
• The spider also has a single long spine on the underside of both its first legs, and this gave it its scientific name Habrocestum longispinum (after Latin ‘longe’ meaning long and ‘spinae’ for spine).

 

Source: The Hindu

 

 

Electoral bonds scheme

 

News Flash

Supreme Court agreed to stay the implementation of the electoral bonds scheme.

Recently, Election Commission of India also lashed out the scheme as it would open the doors for pumping in black money.

About Scheme

• The Electoral Bonds are like promissory notes that can be bought by a person, who is a citizen of India or incorporated or established in India to make a donation to a political party.
• The Electoral Bonds shall be encashed by an eligible Political Party only through a Bank account with the Authorized Bank.
• Electoral Bonds shall be valid for fifteen calendar days from the date of issue.
• Bonds would be available in State Bank of India (SBI) for value, in multiples of Rs. One thousand, ten thousand, one lakh, ten lakh and one crore.

 

Eligible Party

Only the Political Parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and which secured not less than one per cent of the votes polled in the last General Election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of the State, shall be eligible to receive the Electoral Bonds.

 

Significance

• The prime objective of the scheme is to reduce opaqueness in political funding in the country, mainly during the time of elections.
• The scheme will bring transparency in political funding as the bond is issued by bank after the completion of KYC details.
• The details of the donor are not made public but are available only with the bank results in to more people to take this route which otherwise make them worry by the opposition parties.
• It will take India towards digital and cashless economy.
• The life of these bonds is only 15 days which limits the scope for misuse.

 

Way forward

The scheme shows the intention of government to move towards transparency in political funding as well as anonymity of the donor.

 

Source: The Hindu

 

 

International moot court competition on international air laws

 

News Flash

The international moot court competition on international air laws was inaugurated at the Army Institute of Law in Mohali.

• Eighteen air law teams from 11 countries are participating in this three-day 10th Leiden-Sarin International Moot Court Competition and 50 air law experts from 40 countries will judge the competitions. Teams from Singapore, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Poland, Germany, France, Sri Lanka, Russia, Canada, China and India are taking part in the competition.
• It is the tenth Competition of the International Air law.
• It is second time that Leiden-Sarin International Air Law Moot Court Competition is being held in India.

 

Objective

The moot competition will provide a great opportunity to students to gain experience in the field of International Air Law.

 

Sarin Foundation

The Sarin Foundation was set up in 1995 in the memory of two outstanding lawyers — Mr. Harbans Lal Sarin, the first generation lawyer who took up the challenge of taking up law as a profession and his son Ranjit Lal Sarin, who made a significant mark in law profession.

 

Source: Indian Express

 

 

The Rajasthan Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Services under the State) (Amendment) Bill, 2019

 

News Flash

SC refuses to hear plea against 5% quota to Gujjars and four other castes in Rajasthan.

• Rajasthan government has proposed to give 5% reservation to Gujjars and four other nomadic communities citing them as being an “extremely backward class”
• Caste-based reservation was introduced by the British Raj and continued by independent India. However, the Supreme Court has put a 50% ceiling on reservation.

 

Features of the Bill

• The bill seeks to provide additional five per cent quota (present 21% for OBC to 26%) in jobs and educational institutions to Gurjars, Banjaras, Gadia Lohars, Raikas and Gadaria communities.
• The bill increases the ceiling of creamy layer from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh.
• The bill passed by Rajasthan Assembly also urged Centre to incorporate resolution in the 9th schedule to ensure the reservation for these communities.

 

Concerns

• Multiple commissions appointed by State governments have recommended the implementation of the 5% quota on the basis of the community’s “extreme” or “most” backward nature.
• But the lack of adequate data in the absence of a proper socio-economic caste census to prove this has led to the policy’s undoing in judicial orders.
• Also, the repeated agitations reveal the shortfall in adequate, gainful and secure job opportunities in States such as Rajasthan.

Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019 The bill seeks to amend Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution to give reservation to the economically backward sections among the general/ unreserved category over and above the 49.5% quota in place for SC, ST and OBCs.

Source: Indian Express

 

 

Heat waves

 

News Flash

The Environment Ministry gives recommendations to Delhi government on action plan for climate change.

• About 2,000 people have been killed in India by this weather condition.
• In the worst-affected states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, maximum temperatures have hovered around a searing 45 degrees Celsius.

 

Heat Wave

A Heat Wave is a period of abnormally high temperatures, more than the normal maximum temperature that occurs during the summer season in the North- Western parts of India. Heat Waves typically occur between March and June, and in some rare cases even extend till July. The extreme temperatures and resultant atmospheric conditions adversely affect people living in these regions as they cause physiological stress, sometimes resulting in death.

According to Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a heat wave is declared when the temperature is five degrees or more than the average temperature recorded on that particular day over the last three decades.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has given the following criteria for Heat Waves :

• Heat Wave need not be considered till maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40*C for Plains and at least 30*C for Hilly regions
• When actual maximum temperature remains 45*C or more irrespective of normal maximum temperature, heat waves should be declared. Higher daily peak temperatures and longer, more intense heat waves are becomingly increasingly frequent globally due to climate change. India too is feeling the impact of climate change in terms of increased instances of heat waves which are more intense in nature with each passing year, and have a devastating impact on human health thereby increasing the number of heat wave casualties.

Higher daily peak temperatures and longer, more intense heat waves are becomingly increasingly frequent globally due to climate change. India too is feeling the impact of climate change in terms of increased instances of heat waves which are more intense in nature with each passing year, and have a devastating impact on human health thereby increasing the number of heat wave casualties.

 

Health Impacts of Heat Waves

• The health impacts of Heat Waves typically involve dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke. The signs and symptoms are as follows:
• Heat Cramps: Ederna (swelling) and Syncope (Fainting) generally accompanied by fever below 39*C i.e.102*F.
• Heat Exhaustion: Fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps and sweating.
• Heat Stroke: Body temperatures of 40*C i.e. 104*F or more along with delirium, seizures or coma. This is a potential fatal condition

 

Source: The Hindu

 

 

WHO : Caesarean section (C-section), a global concern

 

News Flash

According to Lancet Report, maternal deaths following C-sections in low and middle-income countries 100 times those in high-income countries.

Every year, 3 lakh women die during childbirth, 99% of whom are from low and middle-income countries. Maternal deaths following caesarean sections in low and middle-income countries are 100 times higher than that in high-income countries, with up to a third of all babies dying, according to data from 12 million pregnancies.

• Data from 1990 to 2017 show that a quarter of all women who died while giving birth in low and middle-income countries had undergone caesarean section.
• In many low and middle-income countries, overuse and underuse coexist making it particularly difficult to increase the provision of caesarean section to those women in need without aggravating the overuse which, in turn, places women at higher risk of complications.
• A third of all deaths following caesarean section were attributed to postpartum haemorrhage (32%), 19% to pre-eclampsia, 22% to sepsis, and 14% to anaesthesia-related causes.

 

What can be done 

The training is needed in decision making to reduce unnecessary caesarean sections, and in appropriate intrapartum care, including instrumental deliveries to reduce caesarean sections performed in the second stage of labour, which carry greater risk.

Source: The Hindu

 

 

Competition Commission of India

 

News Flash

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved diversified group Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) proposed acquisition of up to 66.15% stake in IT firm Mindtree Ltd.

 

The Competition Act

The Competition Act, 2002, as amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007, follows the philosophy of modern competition laws.

 

What the act does ?

• Prohibits anti-competitive agreements.
• Prohibits abuse of dominant position by enterprises.
• Regulates combinations (acquisition, acquiring of control and M&A), which causes or likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within India.

 

Competition Commission of India (CCI)

The objectives of the Act are sought to be achieved through the Competition Commission of India (CCI), which has been established by the Central Government with effect from 14^th October 2003.

• CCI consists of a Chairperson and 6 Members appointed by the Central Government.
• It is the duty of the Commission to eliminate practices having adverse effect on competition, promote and sustain competition, protect the interests of consumers and ensure freedom of trade in the markets of India. The Commission is also required to give opinion on competition issues on a reference received from a statutory authority established under any law and to undertake competition advocacy, create public awareness and impart training on competition issues.

Source: The Hindu

 

 

ATTENTION

Helicoptor to Mars

NASA is planning to send helicoptor, a small, autonomous rotorcraft, to Mars in its 2020 rover mission. It is sent to demonstrate the viability and potential of heavier-than-air vehicles on the Red Plane.

 

Hayabusa 2

A Japanese spacecraft, Hayabusa2, launched an explosive device at an asteroid, aiming to blast a crater in the surface and scoop up material that could shed light on how the solar system evolved.

The mission was risky as the spacecraft had to immediately move away so as to avoid getting hit by flying shards from the blast.

 

The Confederation of Indian Industry

CII works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering industry, Government, and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes.

CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization, playing a proactive role in India’s development process. Founded in 1895, India’s premier business association has around 9000 members, from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 300,000 enterprises from around 276 national and regional sectoral industry bodies.

CII charts change by working closely with Government on policy issues, interfacing with thought leaders, and enhancing efficiency, competitiveness and business opportunities for industry through a range of specialized services and strategic global linkages. It also provides a platform for consensus-building and networking on key issues.

 

 

EDITORIAL SUMMARY

Judiciary’s right to privacy and its implications

 

A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has finally concluded hearing a crucial appeal (after being nine years in cold storage) under the Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005.

 

Background

The Supreme Court adopted a resolution in 1997, in which all judges had committed to disclosing information about their assets and liabilities to the Chief Justice of India (CJI). The resolution had specifically mandated that the information would remain “confidential”.  In 2005, Parliament passed the RTI Act, creating a legal right to demand information held by public authorities which arguably also include the CJI.

Mr. Agrawal, who filed the petition, never actually asked for copies of the declarations filed by the judges with the CJI. He only wanted to be informed of whether any such declaration were filed by the judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts. Yet the PIO sought to invoke, among other sections, Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act to deny him this information.

Crucial Questions Involved 

• Are Judges required to publicly disclose their assets under the RTI Act in light of Section 8(1)(j)?

 Section 8(1)(j) prohibits the sharing of personal information that has no nexus to public activity or which amounts to an unwarranted invasion of privacy unless the larger public interest justifies such a disclosure.

Any attempt by the judges to use logic of right to privacy for not disclosing assets to the public would necessarily require an implied overruling of landmark judgments and will also demand clarification in the ambiguities in some laws as in following cases:

• PUCL (2003) and Lok Prahari v. Union of India (2018), in which the court discarded the privacy claims of the political class while forcing them to publicly disclose not just their assets but also the sources of their income.
• Section 44 of the Lokpal Act, 2013, which requires all public servants (this includes judges) to disclose their assets but is silent on whether the disclosure should be to the competent authority or the general public. This provision has already been the subject of an amendment in 2016.

A lot has happened on the privacy front since 2012. The litigation and the civil society campaign against Aadhaar resulted in an unanimous judgment from nine judges of the Supreme Court declaring informational privacy as a component of the fundamental right to privacy. When the Constitution Bench decides on Mr.

Agrawal’s appeal, it will most likely be viewing the privacy right enshrined in Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act through the lens of the Aadhaar judgment.

If judges decides that their right to privacy saves them from disclosing their assets then the court would be forced to reconsider its decision in case of political class’s assets.

Source: The Hindu