Central Information Commission

For: Preliminary; Mains: GS II

Topic: Governance, Polity, Social Justice

News Flash

The Center has denied a Right to Information (RTI) request for details of the ongoing recruitment process for four vacancies in the Central Information Commission (CIC), despite a recent Supreme Court order mandating that such information be made public. The CIC is the RTI Act’s highest appellate body.

 

What is the issue

• Arbitrariness in the appointment process.
• Appropriate candidates from diverse backgrounds, as laid down in the RTI Act, are not being appointed as information commissioners.

 

Appointment Process

Section 12(3) of the RTI Act 2005 provides as follows. The Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a committee consisting of

• The Prime Minister, who shall be the Chairperson of the committee.
• The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
• A Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister.

 

Eligibility 

• The Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners shall be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance.
• Chief Information Commissioner or an Information Commissioner shall not be a Member of Parliament or Member of the Legislature of any State or Union Territory as the case may be, or hold any other office of profit or connected with any political party or carrying on any business or pursuing any profession.

In recent times it has been the practice that the persons from bureaucracy are given priority in appointments, this trend was also criticised by the apex court.

The Central Information Commission has been constituted with effect from 12-10-2005 under the Right to Information Act, 2005. The jurisdiction of the Commission extends over all Central Public Authorities.

The Commission has certain powers and functions mentioned in sections 18, 19, 20 and 25 of the RTI Act, 2005.These broadly relate to :

• Adjudication in second appeal for giving information.
• Direction for record keeping.
• Suo motu disclosures receiving.
• Enquiring into a complaint on inability to file RTI etc.
• Imposition of penalties and Monitoring and Reporting including preparation of an Annual Report.

The Commission includes 1 Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and not more than 10 Information Commissioners (IC) who are appointed by the President of India. The first Chief Information Commissioner of India was Wajahat Habibullah.

The present Chief Information Commissioner of India is Sudhir Bhargava.

 

Source: The Hindu

 

 

Veer Parivar App

For: Preliminary

Topic: Government initiative, Technology

News Flash

On the occasion of the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPFs) “Valour day” (April 9th), President of India has launched ‘Veer Parivar App’ for the families of CRPF personnel killed in the line of duty.

• The app act as interface between CRPF authorities and the next of kin of the slain personnel. The app will also provide assistance to the families of the martyred CRPF personnel with regard to issuance of ex gratia, pensionary benefits and all other information regarding the welfare schemes.
• This Android-based app will provide real-time assistance to the families. CRPF authorities will also have to respond the issues raised by the members of the families of the slain personnel.

 

Background

The day (9th April) is observed by the CRPF every year as a remembrance of the gallant fight back by a small contingent of the 2nd Battalion of CRPF against an attack by a Pakistani Brigade at the Sardar post in Rann of Kutch in Gujarat on April 9, 1965. They eliminated 34 Pakistani soldiers and captured four soldiers alive.

 

Source: AIR

 

 

Central Monitoring Committee for Pollution in Rivers

For: Preliminary; Mains: GS I

Topic: Environmental Pollution related issues, Suggestions and solution

News Flash

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a Central Monitoring Committee to ensure the implementation of action plan meant for reducing pollution stretches across the country.

 

Why a Central Monitoring Committee?

• Prime consideration to the serious issues and inadequacy of success achieved so far.
• To undertake a national initiative by way of preparation and enforcement of a national plan to make river stretches pollution-free.

 

Members

Senior representatives of NITI Aayog, Secretaries of the Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Central Pollution Control Board and Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga.

• The panel will coordinate with States to oversee the action plans and ensure the time-bound execution of the same.
• The Union Environment Ministry was directed to consider a policy for giving “environmental awards” to institutions and States that comply with orders and ensure reduction in pollution.
• The CPCB, along with the respective State pollution control boards and pollution control committees, was directed to launch a nationwide programme on biodiversity monitoring and indexing.

 

Central Pollution Control Board

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), statutory organisation, was constituted in September, 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Further, CPCB was entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

 

Source: The Hindu

 

 

Global Financial Stability Report 

For: Preliminary; Mains: GS III

Topic: Economics

News Flash

IMF released April 2019 Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR) as part of the World Bank IMF Spring Meetings. The GFSR provides an assessment of balance sheet vulnerabilities across financial and non-financial sectors in advanced and emerging market economies.

 

Key points 

• There continues to be a high stock of non-performing assets (NPAs) in India, and there has been some progression.
• The level of capitalisation of some banks, particularly government-owned banks should be encouraged.
• Average price-to-book ratios for Indian banks improving somewhat and the institutional mechanisms for resolution and recognition of [non-performing loans] NPLs are, of course, extremely important.

 

Source: The Hindu

 

 

NRI Marriage Registration bill

Why the Bill was needed?

In some specific reasons in India girls are married off to NRIs and most of times it happens that the boy is already married and has no intention of taking his Indian bride to the country he lives in.

A large number of cases are from Punjab, Gujarat and Kerala. Within Punjab, a large number of cases have surfaced in the Doaba region—famous for its links with Canada, the US and the UK. Nursing dreams of migrating overseas or marrying off their daughters and sons to families settled abroad come naturally to the families here—one of the main reasons giving rise to the phenomenon of “holiday brides” or “honeymoon brides”.

In many cases, the bride wants to register a complaint or talk about the problem, but the family does not let her, not wanting to jeopardize chances of a rapprochement.

The ministry of external affairs told Parliament that 4,307 complaints of Indian women being deserted by their NRI husbands were received and addressed between 2016 and 2018.

 

Main points 

• Marriage should be registered within a period of 30 days from the date of marriage. Registration of the marriage in India allows the affected person to seek justice under Indian laws.
• The legislation calls for amending the Passports Act of 1967 to allow the Cancellation of the citizenship and travel document of the NRI married to an Indian citizen or another NRI, if the marriage is not registered within 30 days.
• WHEN a person (is) summoned by a court under this code and the court is satisfied that the summons issued could not be served, the court may issue summons along with the substance of the information by uploading on the specially designated website of the ministry of external affairs. Such uploading of the summons shall be conclusive evidence that the summons has been served against that person.

 

The Registration of Marriage of Non-Resident Indian Bill, 2019

The Registration of Marriage of Non-Resident Indian Bill, 2019 was introduced in Rajya Sabha by the Minister of External Affairs, Ms. Sushma Swaraj on February 11, 2019. The Bill provides for registration of marriages of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).  In addition, it amends the Passport Act, 1967, and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.

 

Registration of marriages

The Bill states that every NRI who marries a citizen of India must get his marriage registered in India within thirty days.  Further, every NRI who marries an Indian citizen or another NRI outside India, must get his marriage registered with the Marriage Officer, within thirty days.  The Marriage Officer is appointed from among the diplomatic officers in the foreign country.

 

Impounding of passport

In case an NRI marries an Indian citizen or another NRI, and fails to register the marriage within thirty days, the passport authority may impound or revoke the passport of the NRI.

 

Issue of summons and warrants

The Bill provides that in case a court cannot serve summons, it may issue summons by uploading it on a specific website designated by the Ministry of External Affairs.  If the person summoned does not appear before the Court, it may issue and upload a warrant for arrest on the designated website.

 

Further, in the case the person fails to appear before the Court as specified in the warrant, the Court may pronounce him as a proclaimed offender and upload a declaration to that effect on the website. If the accused does not appear after the proclamation has been uploaded, the Court may issue a written statement that the proclamation has been uploaded.  This statement will be conclusive evidence that the warrant has been issued.

 

Source: The Hindu / PRS India

 

 

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