“The greatest mistake you can make in this life is to continually fear you will make one.”
Elbert Hubbard
“आप इस जीवन में सबसे बड़ी गलती यह कर सकते हैं कि आप निरन्तर इस बात को लेकर डरते रहें कि आप कोई गलती कर देंगे।”
एल्बर्ट हुब्बार्ड
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Quote of the Day June 29, 2022
Current Affairs-June 28, 2022
INDIA
– Maharashtra: SC asks Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) govt not to disqualify rebel Shiv Sena MLAs till July 11
– PM Modi meets President of Argentina Alberto Fernandez in Munich
– Noted Malayalam lyricist, author and journalist, Chowalloor Krishnankutty dies at 86
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Rajasthan becomes 3rd state after Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh to foray into uranium mining; issues a letter of intent (LoI) to Uranium Corporation of India
– Govt appoints Indian Revenue Services officer Nitin Gupta new CBDT chairman
– Former BHEL Chairman V. Krishnamurthy dies at 91
WORLD
– Russia defaults on foreign-currency sovereign debt for 1st time since 1918 as western sanctions had shut down payment routes to overseas creditors
– Saudi Arabia confers Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa with King Abdulaziz Medal
– Iran launches a solid-fuelled rocket Zuljanah into space
– Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) Day observed on June 27
– G7 proposes $600-bn global infra plan called ‘Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment’ to rival China
SPORTS
– US athlete Sydney McLaughlin sets new world record in women’s 400m hurdles at 51.41 seconds
Current Affairs- June 29, 2022
INDIA
– Ramdarash Mishra gets Saraswati Samman for his Hindi poetry collection ‘Mein to Yahan Hun’; award given by KK Birla Foundation
– PM Modi holds bilateral talks with President of UAE Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Abu Dhabi
– In first Punjab budget, AAP govt announces 300 units of free electricity to every household every month from July
– Govt launches e-learning portal ‘Dak Karmayogi’ to enhance competency of Dak Sevaks and dept employees
– 3 ONGC employees among 4 dead in Pawan Hans helicopter crash in Arabian Sea
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– National Highways Excellence Awards-2021 given away in nine categories by Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi
– Gig economy workers will triple to 2.35 crore by 2030: Niti Aayog report titled ‘India’s Booming Gig and Platform Economy: Perspectives and Recommendations on Future of Work’
– A gig worker as a person who engages in income-earning activities outside of a traditional employer-employee relationship, as well as in the informal sector
– National Insurance Awareness Day observed on June 28
– Industrialist Pallonji Mistry, the owner of Shapoorji Pallonji Group, dies at 93 in Mumbai
WORLD
– 2022 UN Ocean Conference being organised at Lisbon, Portugal from June 27 to July 1; Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh leading the Indian delegation
– At least 50 people found dead in an abandoned truck in San Antonio (US) which is 250 kms away from US-Mexico border and is known as a major transit route for people smugglers
What is a ‘zero-Covid’ strategy?
A notice, attributed to a high-ranking Chinese Communist Party official, created a flutter among Beijing’s residents as it claimed that China’s straining and unpopular zero-Covid curbs — mass testing, targeted lockdowns, and travel restrictions — might extend for another five years.
According to The Guardian, the original text of the notice, attributed to Communist Party’s Beijing secretary, said: “In the next five years, Beijing will unremittingly grasp the normalisation of epidemic prevention and control.”
The notice was first put out by Beijing Daily and later by several state media outlets. After some time, the “five year” reference was taken off by most publications. But by then, it had triggered a wave of anger and confusion online among residents of Beijing, with a hashtag linked to the five-year notice getting 1 million hits before being removed.
What is the ‘zero-Covid’ strategy?
It is a strategy that aims to drive down the number of Covid-19 cases by imposing strict lockdowns, closing borders and imposing travel bans. Initially, when the pandemic started, Western countries adopted a mitigation approach that involved trying to flatten the curve while strengthening healthcare capacity to deal with possible flare ups.
But soon another strategy — the elimination approach — started to find acceptance. This strategy eventually evolved into a Covid-elimination or zero-Covid plan. As part of the plan, governments tried to stamp out outbreaks down to the last case, at any cost.
Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong and several other Asia Pacific countries applied the approach, involving highly restrictive measures, for different lengths of time, with varying degrees of severity in their Covid curbs.
Why did countries move away from zero-Covid?
By the middle of 2021, healthcare authorities started questioning the zero-Covid approach to fight the disease.
When vaccines started being rolled out worldwide, some countries also simultaneously started a gradual shift towards fewer lockdowns and more freedoms for citizens.
As the UK lifted restrictions putting its faith in the vaccination drive, France started issuing health passes to the vaccinated to enter public spaces. Around the same time, Australia, after battling the record Delta wave surge, too started talking about “living with the virus” with focus shifting from number of cases to total hospitalisations.
However, New Zealand and China were among the countries that stuck to the elimination response. New Zealand ultimately transitioned away from a hard elimination approach in October 2021, but China has refused to pivot.
Why has China’s approach been criticised?
While the virus has evolved, China’s response to tackling it has been rooted in zero-tolerance for Covid cases. While this has helped the country stamp out every flare-up, a hard-to-lock-out Omicron variant has made the outbreaks frequent.
Beijing’s harsh countermeasures to tackle Covid have imposed immense hardships on the lifestyle and livelihoods of citizens, making the curbs unpopular. But the country has refused to budge on most elements of its policy, despite the WHO saying that its Covid response was “unsustainable”. It continues to be the last big economic power still wedded to the zero-Covid policy.
Only recently, Shanghai faced a months-long lockdown amid the Omicron spread, while Beijing closed schools and offices for weeks over a separate surge. On Sunday, Shanghai recorded zero Covid cases for the first time since March.
Source: Indian Express, 28/06/22
What is the GST Council, what does it do?
The 47th meeting of the Goods and Services Tax Council began in Chandigarh Tuesday, almost marking five years of the tax system coming into effect on July 1, 2017.
Over these five years, the GST setup has gone through numerous changes, and the ongoing two-day meeting is expected to look at matters such as the GST compensation to states, and the imposition of taxes on some currently-exempt goods and services.
What is the GST Council?
The Goods and Services Tax regime came into force after the Constitutional (122nd Amendment) Bill was passed by both Houses of Parliament in 2016. More than 15 Indian states then ratified it in their state Assemblies, after which the President gave his assent. The GST Council – a joint forum of the Centre and the states — was set up by the President as per Article 279A (1) of the amended Constitution.
The members of the Council include the Union Finance Minister (chairperson), the Union Minister of State (Finance) from the Centre. Each state can nominate a minister in-charge of finance or taxation or any other minister as a member.
Why was the Council set up?
The Council, according to Article 279, is meant to “make recommendations to the Union and the states on important issues related to GST, like the goods and services that may be subjected or exempted from GST, model GST Laws”.
It also decides on various rate slabs of GST.
For instance, an interim report by a panel of ministers has suggested imposing 28 per cent GST on casinos, online gaming and horse racing. A decision on this will be taken at the Council meeting on Wednesday. What has changed this time?
The ongoing meeting is the first since a decision of the Supreme Court in May this year, which stated recommendations of the GST Council are not binding.
The court said Article 246A of the Constitution gives both Parliament and state legislatures “simultaneous” power to legislate on GST and recommendations of the Council “are the product of a collaborative dialogue involving the Union and States”. This was hailed by some states, such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, who believe states can be more flexible in accepting the recommendations as suited to them. The council’s meeting is also likely to focus on the issue of extension of the GST compensation regime beyond June 2022. This was a special mechanism by which states were assured that their revenues would not be affected by the new GST system. Some states are already demanding that the compensation be continued.
Earlier, the Council had agreed to extend the levy of compensation cess till 2026, but only for repayment of the borrowings made in the aftermath of the pandemic to provide compensation to states.
Written by Rishika Singh
Source: Indian Express, 28/06/22
Monday, June 27, 2022
Quote of the Day June 27, 2022
“Accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.”
General George S. Patton
“चुनौतियों को स्वीकार करें, ताकि आप विजय के हर्ष का आनन्द महसूस कर सकें।”
जनरल जार्ज एस. पैट्टोन
Why glorify the Civil Services Exams?
Glorification of the Civil Services Exams and the toppers tends to perpetuate certain myths in society
Recently, the Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) released the results of candidates who successfully cleared the Civil Services Exams (CSE) 2021. Around 685 candidates qualified for various services including the IAS, the IPS and the IFS. Almost all media outlets carried news stories about the toppers’ background and their success stories, leading to glorifying the exam and toppers.
Can this glorification be justified? This question might give readers the impression that I am against the CSE. Not at all. I had started a Civil Services Club in a college I worked in and have also helped others start such clubs in their institutions. What I am against is the glorification of UPSC exams and the toppers, as it perpetuates certain myths and has a negative impact on society in general and young minds in particular.
Myths
Certain reports and articles in various newspapers and magazines perpetuate the myth that only exceptionally intelligent people can crack the CSE, which is not true. Not all those who cracked the exam are extremely intelligent. Many have failed to clear the exams for more reasons than one. Exceptional intelligence and success in the CSE are not correlated. In other words, not all bureaucrats are exceptionally intelligent people.
Another myth is that bureaucratic jobs are the best career option for dynamic youngsters. On the contrary, in the 21st century, there are numerous career options for youngsters with adequate knowledge and skills in different fields.
The third myth being propagated by coaching academies is that only those trained by them can crack the exams. Again, many successful candidates prepare on their own and do not approach any academy for coaching.
Negative impact
The glorification of CSE toppers has had a negative impact on society. Many youngsters, lured by media reports and advertisements given by coaching academies, shell out a lot of money to prepare. Recently, one candidate’s viral tweet said: 10 years of hard work ended in ashes. 6 UPSC attempts over. 3 times prelims failed. 2 times mains failed. In my last attempt, yesterday I succumbed due to low score in interview. Missed by 11 marks. #upscresult “And still I rise.”
Yet, some parents and even teachers think that the Civil Services are the best career option and push youngsters into attempting it. A couple of years ago, a friend asked his 15-year-old nephew, “What do you want to become when you grow up?” The answer was ““I want to become an IAS officer. I want to serve the country.”
However, in the recent past, there have been reports about the nexus between corrupt politicians and bureaucrats and also instances of the latter misusing power for personal gains. We need to look at the Indian bureaucracy critically. Those who glorify the CSE are doing a great disservice to the nation. It is time people asked: What is the contribution of the CSE toppers to the nation in the past two decades? As American radio talk show host Dennis Prager once said, “More harm was done in the 20th century by faceless bureaucrats than tyrant dictators.”
Source: The Hindu, 25/06/22
Current Affairs-June 26, 2022
INDIA
– S. M Krishna, Narayana Murthy, Prakash Padukone selected for ‘Kempegowda International Award’ in Karnataka
– Death penalty valid, judges cannot find ways to avoid it: SC
– J&K to host G-20 meeting next year
– Passport Seva Divas celebrated on June 24
– CM Patnaik shares Odisha’s achievements on food security at WFP HQ in Rome
– Sajid Mir, 26/11 Mumbai terror attack handler, once claimed to be dead, arrested in Pakistan
– Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh leaves for Portugal to take part in “2022 UN Ocean Conference” at Lisbon
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Government notifies GST compensation cess extension to March 2026
– Cochin Shipyard delivers two Autonomous Electric Barges to Norway-based ASKO Maritime AS
– Toyota, Suzuki to make hybrid vehicles in India
– Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) issues performance standards for electric vehicle batteries
WORLD
– PM Sheikh Hasina inaugurates 6.15 km ‘Padma Bridge’; Bangladesh’s longest that will connect capital Dhaka to underdeveloped northwestern region of the country
– BRICS call for Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism
– Sri Lanka limits foreign currency possession by individuals to USD 10,000 to support dwindling forex reserve
– Day of the Seafarer celebrated on June 25 by the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
– Afghanistan: India reopens Embassy in Kabul, sends aid
SPORTS
– Indian duo of Jyoti Surekha and Abhishek Verma win gold in Archery World Cup Stage-3 mixed team event in Pairs
Current Affairs-June 27, 2022
INDIA
– UP Lok Sabha byelections: BJP wins Rampur and Azamgarh seats earlier held by SP
– Punjab Lok Sabha byelection: Simranjit Singh Mann of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) wins Sangrur seat earlier held by AAP
– Tripura Assembly byelection: BJP’s Tripura CM Manik Saha wins from Town Bardowali
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Tata Power Solar Systems commissions India’s largest floating solar power project of 101.6-Megawatt Peak (MWp) in Kerala backwaters
WORLD
– US Supreme Court overrules women’s constitutional right to abortion
– US President Joe Biden signs the breakthrough gun safety legislation that enhances background checks on young gun buyers between 18 and 21 years of age
– UK, US, Japan and Canada to ban Russia gold imports amid Ukraine war
– International Day in Support of Victims of Torture observed on June 26
– International Day against Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking observed on June 26
SPORTS
– Madhya Pradesh (536 and 108/4) clinch first ever Ranji Trophy title with six-wicket win against Mumbai (374 and 269) at Bengaluru
– Indian women’s recurve team bag silver medal in World Cup Stage 3 in Paris
Abortion laws around the world
With the US Supreme Court overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade decision that established a constitutional right to an abortion, the United States is now among the few dozen countries that have severely restricted access to the procedure.
Now, individual states will decide whether to permit or restrict abortions, the court ruled on Friday night. As of now, abortions are illegal or heavily restricted in at least 11 US states. In around 12 others, laws are already in place that will allow state authorities to swiftly ban or restrict access to the procedure, according to an NPR report.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world, abortions are either banned entirely or permitted with certain restrictions in place. Very often limits are placed on when an abortion is permitted, generally around gestational time limits. We take a look at some of the abortion policies in countries across the globe.
What is India’s abortion policy?
India’s Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 allows abortion until 20 weeks of pregnancy. An amendment in 2021 raised the ceiling for abortions to 24 weeks for special categories of pregnant women sucThere is no upper gestation limit for the procedure in cases of foetal disability as long as it is approved by a medical board of specialist doctors set up by the governments of states and union territories.
Which countries have altogether banned abortions?
Abortions are illegal in 24 countries, where about 90 million or 5 per cent of women of reproductive age reside, according to the global advocacy group, Center for Reproductive Rights. These include Senegal, Mauritania, and Egypt in Africa, Laos and the Philippines in Asia, El Salvador and Honduras in Central America, and Poland and Malta in Europe.
As per the hardline laws in some of these countries, women are imprisoned for getting abortions. In El Salvador, for instance, several women who have undergone abortions have been found guilty of “aggravated homicide”, including in cases of miscarriage.
Malta is the only country in the European Union that bans abortions under all circumstances. Just last year, the country witnessed a massive pro-choice movement calling for the country’s centuries-old abortion laws to be reversed. Meanwhile, in 2021, Poland introduced a near-total ban on abortions, allowing the procedure only in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is at risk.
In Africa, while the number of unintended pregnancies has dropped by about 15 per cent in the last three decades, abortions have shot up by about 13 per cent, according to data compiled by Guttmacher Institute. Many African nations have either banned abortions altogether, or severely restricted them. In Nigeria, the procedure is only permitted if the mother’s life is in danger. Meanwhile, in Zimbabwe and Botswana, it is allowed in cases of incest, foetal defects and rape.
Which are the countries that permit abortions, but with significant restrictions?
Around 50 countries — including Libya, Indonesia, Nigeria, Iran and Venezuela — permit abortions if a woman’s health is at risk. Several others allow it in cases of rape, incest or foetal abnormality.h as rape or incest survivors, that too, with the approval of two registered doctors.
For instance, Brazil allows abortion only in cases of rape or foetal disability. In such cases, the woman will need approval from one doctor and at least three clinical experts. A health ministry regulation in 2020 stated that doctors are required to report to the police anyone who seeks an abortion after being raped.
Where are abortions more easily accessible?
In Canada, Australia and much of Europe there are few restrictions other than gestational limits. While Canada has no law granting the right to an abortion, it is still permitted at all stages of pregnancy regardless of the reason for 34 years. In 1998, the country’s Supreme Court struck down a longstanding federal law banning abortions.
The court ruled that the law violated a woman’s right to “life, liberty and security of the person” that was enshrined in Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Most European countries permit abortions within gestational time limits, which most commonly is about 12-14 weeks. But in many countries, there are a variety of exceptions that allow abortions to take place even later. For instance, in the UK, pregnancy can be terminated right up until birth in cases of foetal disability.
Notably, many traditionally conservative Catholic countries in Europe and Latin America have expanded abortion rights following widespread protests by pro-choice groups and women’s rights activists.
Last year in Colombia, the Constitutional court voted to legalise abortion before 24 weeks of pregnancy after the case was brought before the court by the Causa Justa movement, which comprised human rights and civil society groups, The Washington Post reported. Before this, abortions were only allowed in the case of rape, nonviable pregnancy or if the life of the mother was at risk.
Meanwhile, the Mexican Supreme Court last year voted to dismiss a state law that made it possible for authorities to arrest women for undergoing abortions, even in cases of rape.
One of the most remarkable shifts in abortion rights was witnessed in Ireland, where in 2018, the public voted to overturn the country’s restrictive abortion laws. Now, a woman can opt for abortion within 12 weeks of pregnancy. However, the law states that those who facilitate an illegal abortion can still be arrested, with a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
In 2019, neighbouring northern Ireland became the last remaining UK nation to lift the ban on abortions.
New Zealand decriminalised abortions in 2020, extending the legal period to 20 weeks of pregnancy. Before that, two doctors had to approve an abortion, which was only done in very serious cases when the pregnancy posed a Serious danger” to a woman’s health.
Written by Rahel Philipose
Source: Indian Express, 26/06/22
Why is single-use plastic being banned in India from July 1?
The Centre has banned the use of ‘single-use plastic’ from July 1. The Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change had issued a gazette notification last year announcing the ban, and has now defined a list of items that will be banned from next month.
“The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of following single-use plastic, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, commodities shall be prohibited with effect from the 1st July, 2022,’’ says the Ministry notification.
What is single-use plastic?
As the name suggests, it refers to plastic items that are used once and discarded. Single-use plastic has among the highest shares of plastic manufactured and used — from packaging of items, to bottles (shampoo, detergents, cosmetics), polythene bags, face masks, coffee cups, cling film, trash bags, food packaging etc.A 2021 report by one of the Australian philanthropic organisations the Minderoo Foundation said single-use plastics account for a third of all plastic produced globally, with 98% manufactured from fossil fuels. Single-use plastic also accounts for the majority of plastic discarded – 130 million metric tonnes globally in 2019 — “all of which is burned, buried in landfills or discarded directly into the environment”, the report said.
On the current trajectory of production, it has been projected that single-use plastic could account for 5-10% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The report found that India features in the top 100 countries of single-use plastic waste generation – at rank 94 (the top three being Singapore, Australia and Oman. With domestic production of 11.8 million metric tonnes annually, and import of 2.9 MMT, India’s net generation of single-use plastic waste is 5.6 MMT, and per capita generation is 4 kg.
What are the items being banned?
The items on which the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have announced a ban are earbuds; balloon sticks; candy and ice-cream sticks; cutlery items including plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, trays; sweet boxes; invitation cards; cigarette packs; PVC banners measuring under 100 microns; and polystyrene for decoration.
The Ministry had already banned polythene bags under 75 microns in September 2021, expanding the limit from the earlier 50 microns. From December, the ban will be extended to polythene bags under 120 microns. Ministry officials have explained that the ban is being introduced in phases to give manufacturers time to shift to thicker polythene bags that are easier to recycle. While manufacturers can use the same machine for 50- and 75-micron bags, the machinery will need to be upgraded for 120 microns.
According to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, there is also a complete ban on sachets using plastic material for storing, packing or selling gutkha, tobacco and pan masala.
Why these items?
Ministry officials have said that the choice for the first set of single-use plastic items for the ban was based on “difficulty of collection, and therefore recycling”.
“The enemy is not that plastic exists per se, but that plastic exists in the environment. When plastic remains in the environment for long periods of time and does not decay, it turns into microplastics – first entering our food sources and then the human body, and this is extremely harmful. We have chosen these items as they are difficult to collect, especially since most are either small, or discarded directly into the environment – like ice-cream sticks. It then becomes difficult to collect for recycling, unlike the much larger items,” said a Ministry official.
Satish Sinha of the environmental group Toxic Links described the items chosen as “low-hanging fruit”. “Of the single-use plastic industry – the production and sale of these items is miniscule. The largest share of single-use plastic is that of packaging – with as much as 95% of single use belong to this category – from toothpaste to shaving cream to frozen foods. The items chosen are of low value and of low turnover and are unlikely to have a big economic impact, which could be a contributing reason. Having said that, we do need to start with something, and it is a beginning,” said Sinha.
How will the ban be enforced?
The ban will be monitored by the CPCB from the Centre, and by the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) that will report to the Centre regularly. Directions have been issued at national, state and local levels — for example, to all petrochemical industries — to not supply raw materials to industries engaged in the banned items.
Directions have also been issued to SPCBs and Pollution Control Committees to modify or revoke consent to operate issued under the Air/Water Act to industries engaged in single-use plastic items. Local authorities have been directed to issue fresh commercial licenses with the condition that SUP items will not be sold on their premises, and existing commercial licences will be cancelled if they are found to be selling these items.
Last week, the CPCB issued one-time certificates to 200 manufacturers of compostable plastic and the BIS passed standards for biodegradable plastic.
Those found violating the ban can be penalised under the Environment Protection Act 1986 – which allows for imprisonment up to 5 years, or a penalty up to Rs 1 lakh, or both.
Violators can also be asked to pay Environmental Damage Compensation by the SPCB. In addition, there are municipal laws on plastic waste, with their own penal codes.
How are other countries dealing with single-use plastic?
Earlier this year, 124 countries, parties to the United Nations Environment Assembly, including India, signed a resolution to draw up an agreement which will in the future make it legally binding for the signatories to address the full life of plastics from production to disposal, to end plastic pollution.
Bangladesh became the first country to ban thin plastic bags in 2002. New Zealand became the latest country to ban plastic bags in July 2019. China issued a ban on plastic bags in 2020 with phased implementation.
As of July 2019, 68 countries have plastic bag bans with varying degrees of enforcement.Eight states in the US have banned single-use plastic bags, beginning with California in 2014. Seattle became the first major US city to ban plastic straws in 2018.
On July 2, 2021, the Directive on Single-Use Plastics took effect in the European Union (EU). The directive bans certain single-use plastics for which alternatives are available; single-use plastic plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks and cotton buds cannot be placed on the markets of the EU member states. The same measure applies to cups, food and beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene, and all products made of oxo-degradable plastic.
Vanuatu and the Seychelles have banned plastic straws outright.
Written by Esha Roy
Source: Indian Express, 21/06/22
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