05, March 2019 05/03/2019 – Posted in: Daily News
UNSC (Freezing and seizure) order
News Flash
Islamabad issued a United Nations Security Council (Freezing and Seizure) order to implement sanctions against designated terrorists and terrorist groups.
- The new sanctions will directly affect the Jaish-e-Mohammad, the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the JuD and its chief Hafiz Saeed.
- Pakistan was placed under the “grey list” in June last year by Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Aim
It will put pressure from the global community to get control over the terror gatherings working on its soil and curb their financing.
FATF
Financial Action Task Force is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 by the Ministers of its Member jurisdictions to combat Money laundering and Terror financing.
The FATF’s decision making body, the FATF Plenary, meets three times per year.
| FATF has two types of lists: Grey List and Black List.
Grey List Grey list is a warning given to the country that it might come in Black list. But even when a country comes under Grey list it faces many problems like: Problem in getting loans, Economic sanctions, Reduction in trade. Black List Black list is given to the countries that FATF considers as uncooperative tax havens. These countries are known as Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories (NCCTs). |
FATF issue recommendation time to time. First issued in 1990, then in 1996, then in 2001, 2003 and most recently in 2012.
Recommendations of 2012
- The FATF monitors the progress of its members in implementing necessary measures.
- It reviews money laundering and terrorist financing techniques and countermeasures and promotes the adoption and implementation of appropriate measures globally.
- In collaboration with other international stakeholders, the FATF works to identify national-level vulnerabilities with the aim of protecting the international financial system from misuse.
Objectives of FATF
- To set models and promote effective implementation of legal, administrative and operational measures for fighting illegal tax avoidance or money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the trustworthiness of the global financial system.
- The FATF has developed a series of Recommendations that are recognised as the international standard for combating of money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Source: Times of India/ Fatf
H1N1
News Flash
In a short span of 55 days (till February 24) this year, the number of influenza A (H1N1) cases and deaths reported from India reached an alarming 14,803 and 448, respectively.
- H1N1 flu is also known as swine flu.
- It’s called swine flu because in the past, the people who caught it had direct contact with pigs. That changed several years ago, when a new virus emerged that spread among people who hadn’t been near pigs.
Spread
The same way as the seasonal flu. At the point when individuals who have it cough or sneeze, they spray little drops of the virus into the air. In the event that you interact with these drops, touch a surface where the drops landed, or touch something an infected individual has recently touched, you can get H1N1 swine influenza.
Symptoms
Cough, Fever, Sore throat, Stuffy or runny nose, Body aches, Headache, Chills, Fatigue.
Causes
- Influenza viruses infect the cells that line your nose, throat and lungs.
- The virus enters your body when you inhale contaminated droplets or transfer live virus from a contaminated surface to your eyes, nose or mouth.
- You can’t catch swine flu from eating pork.
Influenza complications:
- Worsening of chronic conditions, such as heart disease and asthma.
- Neurological signs and symptoms, ranging from confusion to seizures.
- Respiratory failure.
- Pneumonia.
Source: The Hindu
New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2019
News Flash
India will collaborate with four nations (Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia and Malaysia) to protect Asian rhinos.
- During the 2nd Asian Rhino Range Countries meet, India is committed towards rhino conservation.
Collaboration Dialogue
India’s commitment towards rhino conservation in India and added that national strategy will further pave the path for long term conservation of the Greater One-Horned in India.
India helps to increase the population of three species of Asian Rhinos i.e. Greater one-horned rhinoceros, Javan rhino, and Sumatran rhino.
- Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros: IUCN status Vulnerable
- Javan Rhinoceros: IUCN status Critically Endangered
- Sumatran Rhinoceros: IUCN status Critically Endangered
The 12 point strategic actions outlined under the declaration are
- To collaborate to strengthen protection regimes, strategic information gathering, and real time sharing of actionable information on rhino crime and its horn trade to secure the rhino population within and between range countries.
- To initiate research on various habitat parameters including invasive species threatening the suitable habitats of Asian rhinos and take appropriate steps to optimally manage the habitats.
- To explore possibilities of expanding rhino ranges within country or between rhino range countries for optimal population management.
- To strengthen transboundary collaboration among India, Nepal, and Bhutan for the greater one-horned rhino conservation and protection.
- To identify connectivity and corridors across international boundaries and keep them functional, safe and secure for free movement of Asian rhinos and other wildlife.
- To increase the engagement of the local communities as stewards to secure the future of rhinos in range countries.
- To initiate proactive monitoring on potential adverse impacts of climate change on rhino health and their habitats in range countries.
- To undertake studies on Rhino health issues & potential diseases and take necessary steps for management intervention.
- To regularly organize exposure visits for managers and frontline staffs of the rhino range countries and to document the best practices for wider dissemination.
- To collaborate and strengthen wildlife forensics for the purpose of investigation.
- To accelerate natural and conservation breeding of critically endangered Sumatran rhino including best use of all available individuals and technologies.
- To call to the attention of all countries that possible opening of international trade of rhino horn and other derivatives will have a severe detrimental impact on rhino populations in Asian rhino range countries.
Source: The Hindu
Health issues and rising respiratory disease from crop stubble burning
News Flash
Living near 100 fires a day ‘leading risk factor’ for Acute Respiratory Illness; outweighs factors like cracker burning in Diwali or high motor vehicle congestion.
Stubble burning
Stubble burning is intentionally setting fire to the straw stubble that remains after wheat and other grains have been harvested.
Facts presented by IFPRI
- The burning of agricultural residue is a contributor to north India’s winter pollution.
- It may also be responsible for an annual $30 billion loss in terms of days of work lost in States affected by crop burning.
- In Haryana, 5.4% of surveyed people revealed experiencing ARI (Acute Respiratory Infection) while the detailed ARI indications in southern States were just 0.1%.
- Among those who reported suffering from ARI, 83% also reported receiving treatment for ARI at a private or public medical facility.
- While high-intensity fire exposure was basically missing in south India, 17.5% of people in Haryana lived in a district where at least 100 fires for every day were seen by the satellite.
IFPRI
International Food Policy Research Institute provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. It was established in 1975. It is a research center of CGIAR (SCIENCE FOR HUMANITY’S GREATEST CHALLENGES), a worldwide partnership engaged in agricultural research for development.
MODIS
Crop-burning fires are detected by the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Terra satellite, and are managed by the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA).
“Zero tolerance” policy
- In 2013, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued a directive to Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, asking them to ban stubble burning.
- The Environment Ministers of these States declared a “zero tolerance” policy on the burning of stubble.
- Burning of stubble has been estimated to contribute anywhere from 7% to 78% of the particulate matter-emission load in Delhi during winter.
SAFAR
System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) was developed indigenously by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune and operationalized by India Meteorological Department. It is Air quality early warning system. It will monitor all weather parameters like temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind speed and wind direction.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.
Source: The Hindu
Articles 370, 35A : Federal Structure and Special provisions
News Flash
- A recent central ordinance, which extends reservation to SCs and STs in J&K, throws the spotlight on Article 35A, as well as Article 370 from which it derives.
- While regional political leaders have warned against dilution of Article 35A, petitions challenging it are due to come up in SC.
Article 370
Background
Included in the Constitution on October 17, 1949, Raja Hari Singh had initially decided to remain independent and sign standstill agreements with India and Pakistan, and Pakistan in fact signed it. But following an invasion from tribesmen and Army men in plainclothes from Pakistan, he sought the help of India, which in turn sought the accession of Kashmir to India.
Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession on October 26, 1947 and Governor General Lord Mountbatten accepted it on October 27, 1947.
Article 306A (now 370) was passed in the Constituent Assembly on May 27, 1949. Article 370:
- Exempts J&K from the Indian Constitution (except Article 1 and Article 370 itself) and permits the state to draft its own Constitution.
- It restricts Parliament’s legislative powers in respect of J&K. For extending a central law on subjects included in the Instrument of Accession (IoA) mere “consultation” with the state government is needed. Schedule appended to the Instrument of Accession gave Parliament the power to legislate in respect of J&K only on Defence, External Affairs and Communications,. But for extending it to other matters, “concurrence” of the state government is mandatory.
On October 17, 1949, when Article 370 was finally included in the Constitution by India’s Constituent Assembly, Ayyangar reiterated India’s commitment to plebiscite and drafting of a separate constitution by Jammu & Kashmir’s Constituent Assembly.
Is it Temporary ?
The heading of this part is ‘Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions’. Article 370 could be interpreted in two ways:
- Temporary in the sense that the J&K Constituent Assembly had a right to modify/delete/retain it; it decided to retain it.
- Another interpretation was that accession was temporary until a plebiscite.
Important Judgements:
|
Can it be deleted?
- Article 370(3) permits deletion by a Presidential Order. Such an order, however, is to be preceded by the concurrence of J&K’s Constituent Assembly. Since such an Assembly was dissolved on January 26, 1957, one view is it cannot be deleted anymore.
- But the other view is that it can be done, but only with the concurrence of the State Assembly.
| By the 1954 order, almost the entire Constitution was extended to J&K including most Constitutional amendments. Ninety-four of 97 entries in the Union List are applicable to J&K; 26 out of 47 items of the Concurrent List have been extended; 260 of 395 Articles have been extended to the state, besides 7 of 12 Schedules. |
Article 35A
- Article 35A stems from Article 370, having been introduced through a Presidential Order in 1954.
- Article 35A is unique in the sense that it does not appear in the main body of the Constitution — Article 35 is immediately followed by Article 36 — but comes up in Appendix I.
- Article 35A empowers the J&K legislature to define the state’s permanent residents and their special rights and privileges.
The Supreme Court will examine whether it is unconstitutional or violates the basic structure of the Constitution.
Certain types of restrictions on purchase of land are also in place in several other states, including some in the Northeast and Himachal Pradesh. Domicile-based reservation in admissions and even jobs is followed in a number of states, including under Article 371D for undivided Andhra Pradesh. The Centre’s recent decision extending to J&K reservation benefits for SCs, STs, OBCs and those living along international borders, announced last week throws the spotlight back on Article 35A.
Source: Indian Express