Khudiram Bose – India’s youngest revolutionary freedom fighters

India’s youngest revolutionary freedom fighters, Khudiram Bose Shahid Khudiram Bose was the youngest revolutionary freedom fighter who opposed British Raj in India.  He was involved in the Muzaffarpur conspiracy and was executed on August 11, 1908, at the age of 18 years. Events he is associated: Born in 1889, Bose is highly regarded in Bengal for his fearless spirit. Unlike other leaders like Subhash Chandra Bose, however, Khudiram’s legacy has been largely limited to Bengal. In 1905, when Bengal was partitioned, he actively participated in protests against the British. At the age of 15, Bose joined the Anushilan Samiti, an early 20th century organisation that propounded revolutionary activities in Bengal. The deciding moment of Bose’s life came in 1908 when he along with another revolutionary, Prafulla Chaki were assigned the task of assassinating the district magistrate of Muzaffarpur. Legacy: In 1965, Khudiram Bose Central College was established in Kolkata, West Bengal and offers undergraduate courses in arts and commerce. The college is affiliated to the University of Calcutta.  A metro station near Garia in Kolkata is named after him– Shahid Khudiram Station.  Shahid Khudiram Bose Hospital– a hospital is named after him on BT Road near Municipality Park.  The Muzaffarpur Jail, where he was executed on August 11, 1908, was renamed to Khudiram Bose Memorial Central Jail.  Sahid Khudiram Siksha Prangan also known as Alipore Campus is established and offers postgraduate courses and is affiliated to University of Calcutta.  Khudiram Anushilan Kendra is located adjacent to the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indore Stadium in Kolkata. Khudiram Bose Pusa railway station– a two platform station in Samastipur district, Bihar.  Shaheed  Khudiram College at Kamakhyaguri, Alipurduar, West Bengal.  Khudiram Bose : Execution Khudiram was the only person alive in the two-man team conspiracy. It was speculated that Khudiram Bose would be spared but on a historical date, the British Judges confirmed his execution. On August 11, Khudiram Bose was hanged to death. There were multiple attempts to assassinate Kingsford. Initially, the plan was to throw the bomb in the court. However, after much deliberation, it was decided to avoid the court since a lot of civilians might get injured. Thereafter, on April 30, 1908, Bose threw a bomb on a carriage which he suspected was carrying Kingsford. But it turned out that it was carrying the wife and daughter of a barrister named Pringle Kennedy, who lost their lives, as Kingsford escaped. By midnight the entire town was aware of the incident and the Calcutta police were summoned to catch the duo. Bose was arrested from a railway station called Waini where he had reached the next morning after having walked 25 miles. Chaki on the other hand, killed himself before he could get arrested. As Bose was brought handcuffed to the police station at Muzaffarpur, the entire town crowded around to take a look at the teenaged boy. On July 13, 1908, he was finally sentenced to death. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hw5XrL0SHU&t=3s Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join Now

Minimum Support Price (MSP)

Minimum Support Price (MSP) Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to insure agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices.  The minimum support prices are announced by the Government of India at the beginning of the sowing season for certain crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). MSP is price fixed by Government of India to protect the producer – farmers – against excessive fall in price during bumper production years. The minimum support prices are a guarantee price for their produce from the Government.  The major objectives are to support the farmers from distress sales and to procure food grains for public distribution. In case the market price for the commodity falls below the announced minimum price due to bumper production and glut in the market, government agencies purchase the entire quantity offered by the farmers at the announced minimum price. Historical perspective of MSP: The Price Support Policy of the Government is directed at providing insurance to agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices. The minimum guaranteed prices are fixed to set a floor below which market prices cannot fall. Till the mid 1970s, Government announced two types of administered prices : Minimum Support Prices (MSP) Procurement Prices The MSPs served as the floor prices and were fixed by the Government in the nature of a long-term guarantee for investment decisions of producers, with the assurance that prices of their commodities would not be allowed to fall below the level fixed by the Government, even in the case of a bumper crop. Procurement prices were the prices of kharif and rabi cereals at which the grain was to be domestically procured by public agencies (like the FCI) for release through PDS.  It was announced soon after harvest began. Normally procurement price was lower than the open market price and higher than the MSP. This policy of two official prices being announced continued with some variation upto 1973-74, in the case of paddy. In the case of wheat it was discontinued in 1969 and then revived in 1974-75 for one year only.  Since there were too many demands for stepping up the MSP, in 1975-76, the present system was evolved in which only one set of prices was announced for paddy (and other kharif crops) and wheat being procured for buffer stock operations. Determination of Minimum Support Price (MSP) In formulating the recommendations in respect of the level of minimum support prices and other non-price measures, the Commission takes into account, apart from a comprehensive view of the entire structure of the economy of a particular commodity or group of commodities, the following factors:- Cost of production Changes in input prices Input-output price parity Trends in market prices Demand and supply Inter-crop price parity Effect on industrial cost structure Effect on cost of living Effect on general price level International price situation Parity between prices paid and prices received by the farmers. Effect on issue prices and implications for subsidy Read Also Need for MSP Reforms The Commission makes use of both micro-level data and aggregates at the level of district, state and the country. The information/data used by the Commission, inter-alia include the following :- Cost of cultivation per hectare and structure of costs in various regions of the country and changes there in; Cost of production per quintal in various regions of the country and changes therein; Prices of various inputs and changes therein; Market prices of products and changes therein; Prices of commodities sold by the farmers and of those purchased by them and changes therein; Supply related information – area, yield and production, imports, exports and domestic availability and stocks with the Government/public agencies or industry; Demand related information – total and per capita consumption, trends and capacity of the processing industry; Prices in the international market and changes therein, demand and supply situation in the world market; Prices of the derivatives of the farm products such as sugar, jaggery, jute goods, edible/non-edible oils and cotton yarn and changes therein; Cost of processing of agricultural products and changes therein; Cost of marketing – storage, transportation, processing, marketing services, taxes/fees and margins retained by market functionaries; and Macro-economic variables such as general level of prices, consumer price indices and those reflecting monetary and fiscal factors. The increase in MSP for Kharif Crops is in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing the MSPs at a level of at least 1.5 times of the All-India weighted average Cost of Production (CoP), aiming at reasonably fair remuneration for the farmers. The pricing of sugarcane: The pricing of sugarcane is governed by the statutory provisions of the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966 issued under the Essential Commodities Act (ECA), 1955. Prior to 2009-10 sugar season, the Central Government was fixing the Statutory Minimum Price (SMP) of sugarcane and farmers were entitled to share profits of a sugar mill on 50:50 basis. As this sharing of profits remained virtually unimplemented, the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966 was amended in October, 2009 and the concept of SMP was replaced by the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane. A new clause ‘reasonable margins for growers of sugarcane on account of risk and profits’ was inserted as an additional factor for working out FRP and this was made effective from the 2009-10 sugar season. Accordingly, the CACP is required to pay due regard to the statutory factors listed in the Control Order, which are; the cost of production of sugarcane; the return to the grower from alternative crops and the general trend of prices of agricultural commodities; the availability of sugar to the consumers at a fair price; the price of sugar; the recovery rate of sugar from sugarcane; the realization made from sale of by-products viz. molasses, bagasse and press mud or their imputed value (inserted in December, 2008) and; reasonable margins for growers of sugarcane on account of risk

Suva Expert Dialogue

Suva Expert Dialogue The Suva Expert Dialogue on loss and damage, one of the main consultation sessions planned at the ongoing intersessional climate summit at Bonn, The dialogue was organised to deliberate on issues in the mechanisms set up so far to address losses and damages caused by climate change impacts.  The expert dialogue came about in response to a call by developing nations during last year’s COP for a separate agenda item on loss and damage to tackle issues related to finance, technology transfer and capacity building while dealing with climate change impacts. Six informal discussions held over the two days were attended by experts from various fields, from the civil society as well as national delegation members.  The idea behind the discussions was to capture the gaps in the way loss and damages are being assessed and compensated around the world, and options to bridge these gaps. Fair and just redressal mechanism for loss and damage: The various aspects of risk management—risk assessment, risk transfers, risk reduction and risk retention, held in two parallel sessions.  Over the course of the deliberations, participants circled around longstanding issues and gaps in the loss and damage addressal systems that have been put in place within the UNFCCC framework.  Several participants raised the issue of communication gaps and support not reaching those who require it the most. Further, technological gaps regarding downscaling were also raised in the context of risk assessment and reduction. Over the discussions, it became clear that differential vulnerability, highly variable impacts and novel conditions of current climate-related risks had put a spoke in the wheel when it came to pursuing fair and just redressal mechanisms for losses and damages. Read Also Competes Act Quantitative probabilistic risk assessment approach: One current approach elaborated in detail during the Dialogue is a case from the Philippines, the quantitative probabilistic risk assessment approach.  It is based on a multi-hazard risk analysis using dynamic risk modelling, and is applicable to all sectors and government levels.  This approach aims to calculate the risk levels of local government units as a basis for risk reduction measures and efforts to address residual risks. It requires the following data: Exposure (to hazard) for all local government units, comprising geo-tagged disaggregated socioeconomic information, including infrastructure, information on population and ecosystems; b. Frequency of (hazardous) events; c. Sectoral impacts and corollary information. Current mechanisms and financial instruments for managing climate risks inadequate: To bring focus on management options for risks posed by extreme weather events and slow onset events, respectively. Active engagement ensued in laying out how current mechanisms and financial instruments set up under the aegis of the UNFCCC were inadequate to deal with the mounting pressure of climate change on vulnerable populations.  Interestingly, the aspect of “risk creation” due to human activity was also introduced in the discussions. However, how this shall be handled in terms of redressals is anybody’s guess. The mandate of the dialogue was clear: “to explore a wide range of information, inputs and views on ways for facilitating the mobilization and securing of expertise, and enhancement of support, including finance, technology and capacity building for averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including extreme weather events and slow onset events.” Finance even emerged the single biggest concern among participants in a snap poll conducted by the facilitators at the beginning of the meet.  But while lack of access to financial mechanisms of addressing loss and damage as well as lack of technical and institutional capacities were brought up repeatedly during the course of discussions and from various different perspectives, the options to effectively tackle the same were few and far between. Read Also GS 2 Notes India US Relations Doubt over feasibility of climate-based insurance system Climate or weather-based insurance systems, which has been the financial instrument of choice so far in dealing with calamitous impacts of climate change.  But insurance, too, as was pointed out several times during the course of the deliberations, is not without serious doubts that are currently far from being addressed. Insurance schemes and initiatives the world over have faced similar roadblocks in terms of affordability of premiums and the access of payouts following an extreme event or weather-related disaster. As extreme weather events have become more common and devastating, insurance premiums have gone out of reach of small and marginal farmers, who commonly form the majority of the workforce in developing countries. In fact, doubts were even cast on the feasibility of insurance to cover climate risks much longer due to the increasing uncertainty surrounding the destructive potential of extreme weather events.  However, even as participants urged repeatedly to think of insurance as just a small part of a much bigger issue, options and ideas for other possible financial instruments that could complement insurance did not materialise with the same frequency. Forecast-based compensations One option that was put forth was that of forecast-based compensations where funds could be released to aid the preparedness of populations to deal with climate events. The need was also expressed to move from deterministic to probabilistic approaches to deal with the impacts of climate change in the current age.  However, nothing materialised much when it comes to creating new instruments and mechanisms that could counter climate impacts. A few disparate proposals for setting up of solidarity funds, climate change taxes and the creation of regional pools to fund insurance and compensation efforts were floated, but discussions on none of these reached a stage were a path to operationalisation was clearly visible. Gaps in current loss and damage mechanisms: Another gaping hole in the loss and damage mechanisms currently in place is slow onset events.  We have known for decades how climate change is causing major alterations in ecosystems, contributing to anomalously high sea level rise and land degradation by ways of desertification across large parts of the world. Still, there has been no effort till date to address displacements and food and water insecurity felt across the

Cabinet approves 100% FDI in DTH services

Cabinet approves 100% FDI in DTH services The Union Cabinet approved revised guidelines for Direct-to-Home (DTH) broadcasting services, allowing 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) as well as increasing the licence period to 20 years.  “Due to our I&B guidelines, this field was not getting the benefit of 100 per cent FDI. Now, from today’s decision, after changing the guidelines, the guidelines will have the same guidelines as Commerce Ministry, and will come under 100 per cent FDI.” Under the revised guidelines the licenses will be issued for a period of 20 years, compared to 10 years at the moment, and will be renewed for a 10-year period.  The license fee has been revised from 10 per cent of gross revenue (GR) to 8 per cent of adjusted gross revenue (AGR), which will be calculated by deduction of GST from GR. Further, broadcasting firms will have to pay the license fee on quarterly basis, rather than the annual basis as of now. The revised guidelines “may also enable DTH service providers to invest for more coverage leading to increased operations and higher growth and thereby enhanced and regular payment”, the government said in a statement. The government has also allowed DTH operators to share infrastructure. “DTH operators, willing to share DTH platform and transport stream of TV channels, on voluntary basis, will be allowed,” the statement said.  “Distributors of TV channels will be permitted to share the common hardware for their Subscriber Management System (SMS) and Conditional Access System (CAS) applications.” Sharing of infrastructure by the DTH operators, the government noted, “may bring in more efficient use of scarce satellite resources and reduce the costs borne by the consumers”. In another decision, the Cabinet also approved the merger of four of its film media units — Films Division, Directorate of Film Festivals, National Film Archives of India, and Children’s Film Society, India — with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) Ltd. There was “duplication” between some of these organisations, “After coming together, the governance will become better”. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join Now

PAHAL (Pratyaksh Hanstantrit Labh) scheme

PAHAL (Pratyaksh Hanstantrit Labh) scheme The Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG (DBTL) or PAHAL (Pratyaksh Hanstantrit Labh) scheme was earlier launched on June 1, 2013 and finally covered 291 districts.  It required the consumer to mandatorily have an Aadhaar number for availing LPG Subsidy. The government has comprehensively reviewed the scheme and after examining the difficulties faced by the consumer substantively modified the scheme.  The modified scheme is being re-launched in 54 districts on 15.11.2014 in the 1st Phase and in the rest of the country on 1.1.2015. Pratyaksh Hanstantrit Labh ( PAHAL scheme ) : Options to receive LPG subsidy Under the modified scheme, the LPG consumer can now receive subsidy in his bank account by two methods. Such a consumer will be called CTC (Cash Transfer Compliant) once he joins the scheme and is ready to receive subsidy in the bank account. The two options are: Option I (Primary): Wherever Aadhaar number is available it will remain the medium of cash transfer. Thus, an LPG consumer who has an Aadhaar Number has to link it to the bank account number and to the LPG consumer number. Option II (Secondary): If LPG consumer does not have an Aadhaar number, then he can directly receive subsidy in his bank account without the use of Aadhaar number. This option which has now been introduced in the modified scheme ensures that LPG subsidy is not denied to an LPG consumer on account of lack of Aadhaar number. In this option, Present bank account information (bank account holder name /account number /IFSC code) to the LPG distributor for capture in LPG databaseOR Present LPG consumer information (17 digit LPG consumer ID) to his bank LPG Consumers who are already CTC prior to launch on PAHAL (DBTL) Domestic LPG Consumer who had already joined the earlier PAHAL (DBTL) scheme by linking their Aadhaar to bank and LPG database don’t need to take fresh action for receiving subsidy as the subsidy will be transferred to their bank accounts via Aadhaar based on the previous seeding. Such CTC consumers cannot exercise Option II above. Pricing under PAHAL (DBTL) In the PAHAL (DBTL) district(s), domestic LPG cylinders will be sold to CTC domestic LPG consumers at Market Determined Price (does not include subsidy) from the date of launch of the scheme.Amount transferred to consumerThe total cash applicable on LPG cylinder will then be transferred to the CTC consumer for each subsidized cylinder delivered (up to the cap) as per his entitlement.Grace PeriodNon-CTC consumers will be allowed 3 months from the date of launch of PAHAL (DBTL) to become CTC. During this period such consumers will receive their entitlement of subsidized cylinders at the then applicable subsidized retail selling price. Parking Period After the grace period of 3 months, all non-CTC LPG consumers will get an additional 3 month Parking Period, during which the sale will happen at Market Determined Price for all LPG consumers. But for non-CTC consumers the total cash on the sale made to such consumers (as per their entitlement) shall be held back with the respective OMC to be transferred to the LPG consumers’ bank account in case consumer becomes CTC anytime during the Parking Period. In case consumer does not become CTC during this Parking Period, the parked funds will lapse and consumer shall become ineligible to receive the parked funds and sale will continue at market determined price till consumer becomes CTC. After the expiry of the Grace Period of 3 months, and thereafter an additional Parking Period of 3 months, all non-CTC consumers will receive cylinders at marker determined price and will not be entitled to total cash until they become CTC. When non-CTC consumers become CTC beyond the parking period they will be eligible to get one time permanent advance and total cash entitlement on balance subsidized cylinders in that financial year. Read Also NASA-ISRO NISAR Mission Permanent Advance A one-time Advance will be provided to every CTC consumer joining PAHAL (DBTL). The Advance will be notified, from time to time and will remain fixed for a financial year. It will remain with the consumer till the time of termination of connection, when it will be finally adjusted. LPG consumers who were provided permanent advance on a previous scale will not be eligible for any differential payment on account of the revision in the permanent advance. https://youtu.be/RWzY7gIYq1Q Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now

Bad Bank

Bad Bank Bad Bank – A recession in the Indian economy this year, due to the adverse effects of Covid-19 on economic activity. This will hit the banking and financial sector in particular, as slump in earnings of companies and individuals could lead to a jump in non-performing assets, reversing the early trends of NPA reduction post enactment of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and write-off of bad loans by banks. Various analysts suggest that in a couple of years, the proportion of stressed assets in the banking system could jump to as high as 18 per cent from around 11 per cent at present. To tackle this upcoming challenge, the banking industry has proposed the setting up of a government-backed bad bank. Proposal of a bad bank: A bad bank buys the bad loans and other illiquid holdings of other banks and financial institutions, which clears their balance sheet.  The banking sector, led by the Indian Banks Association (IBA), had in May submitted a proposal for setting up a bad bank to the finance ministry and the RBI, proposing equity contribution from the government and the banks. This was based on an idea proposed by a panel on faster resolution of stressed assets in public sector banks headed by former PNB Chairman Sunil Mehta. This panel had proposed an asset management company (AMC), ‘Sashakt India Asset Management’, for resolving large bad loans two years ago.  NPA spike is expected down the line: The impact of Covid-19 and the associated policy response is likely to result in an additional Rs 1,67,000 crore of debt from the top 500 debt-heavy private sector borrowers turning delinquent between FY21 and FY22, according to a report by India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra). This is over and above the Rs 2,54,000 crore anticipated prior to the onset of the pandemic, taking the cumulative quantum to Rs 421,000 crore.  Given that 11.57 per cent of the outstanding debt is already stressed, the proportion of stressed debt is likely to increase to 18.21 per cent of the outstanding quantum. The rating agency said in a scenario wherein funding markets continue to exhibit heightened risk aversion, corporate stress could increase further by Rs 1.68 lakh crore, resulting in Rs 5.89 lakh crore of the corporate debt becoming stressed in FY21-FY22. Consequently, 20.84 per cent of the outstanding debt could be under stress in the agency’s stress case scenario. Government’s view: While the finance ministry has not formally submitted its view on the proposal, senior officials have indicated that it is not keen to infuse equity capital into a bad bank. The government’s view is that bad loan resolution should happen in a market-led way, as there are many asset reconstruction companies already operating in the private space. The government has significantly capitalised state-owned banks in recent years and pursued consolidation in the PSU banking space. In the last three financial years, the government has infused equity of Rs 2.65 lakh crore into state-owned banks. These steps, along with insolvency resolution under the IBC, are seen as adequate to the tackle the challenge of bad loans. Bad Bank RBI view : The central bank has so far never come out favourably about the creation of a bad bank with other commercial banks as main promoters. Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan had opposed the idea of setting up a bad bank with a majority stake by banks, arguing it would solve nothing. Government-funded bad bank would just shift loans “from one government pocket (the public sector banks) to another (the bad bank) and did not see how it would improve matters”. “Indeed, if the bad bank were in the public sector, the reluctance to act would merely be shifted to the bad bank.  Why not instead infuse the capital that would be given to the bad bank directly into the public sector banks? Alternatively, if the bad bank were to be in the private sector, the reluctance of public sector banks to sell loans to the bad bank at a significant haircut would still prevail. Once again, it would solve nothing,” he wrote in his book I Do What I Do, comprising his commentary and speeches as the then RBI Governor.  Alternatives to a bad bank: Many industry experts and government officials involved in economic policy-making argue that the enactment of IBC has reduced the need for having a bad bank, as a transparent and open process is available for all lenders to attempt insolvency resolution. As per latest available RBI data, as a percentage ofclaims, banks recovered on average 42.5% of the amount filed through the IBC in 2018-19, against 14.5% through the SARFAESI, 5.3% through Lok Adalats and 3.5% through Debt Recovery Tribunals.  The view is that an IBC-led resolution, or sale of bad loans to ARCs already existing, is a better approach to tackle the NPA problem rather than a government-funded bad bank. In a speech on February 21, 2017, on ways to resolve banks’ stressed assets, Former RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya proposed two models.  The first model is a private Asset Management Company (PAMC) which would be suitable for sectors where the stress is such that assets are likely to have economic value in the short run, with moderate levels of debt forgiveness. The second model is a National Asset Management Company (NAMC) for sectors where the problem is not just of excess capacity, but possibly also of economically unviable assets in the short- to medium-term, such as in the power sector.  The NAMC would raise debt for its financing needs, keep a minority equity stake for the government, and bring in asset managers such as ARCs and private equity to manage and turn around the assets, he suggested, while arguing that these structure should not be termed as bad banks. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join Now

Jallikattu Festival

Jallikattu Festival Out of India’s 37 indigenous cattle breeds, a large number come from Tamil Nadu. These include the Kangeyam, Thiruchengodu, Bargur, Palamalai, Alambadi, Kollimalai, Vadakarai, Manapparai, Umbalachery, Irucchali, Pulikulam, Thambiran Madu, Thenpandi, Thondainadu, Thurinjithalai and Punganur. Out of these, the Pulikulam breed, a native of the Sivagangai district, is mainly used for Jallikattu festival in Tamil Nadu. ‘Jallikattu’, otherwise known as ‘Eru Thazhuvuthal’ (Tamil for ‘Bull Embracing’) is a sport that has been played in southern Tamil Nadu during Thai Pongal since the Sangam Period. Significance of Jallikattu Festival  With the advent of green revolution, due to farm mechanisation, the use of draught animals has decreased drastically.  According to the last Livestock Census of India, while the indigenous cattle population has decreased considerably, exotic and crossbred cattle have increased.  Indigenous breeds and hybrids with dominant native genes produce A2 milk, which is good for human health.  Jallikattu is considered to be a bio-cultural sport as it helps to conserve native cattle breeds.  But, fortunately or unfortunately, the Supreme Court of India banned Jallikattu on May 7, 2014, based on a plea by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Jallikattu Festival The participants are supposed to take control of the bull by holding its hump for as long as they can. The festival is celebrated on Mattu Pongal, the third day of the harvest festival. Its name is derived from the Tamil words ‘salli’ meaning coins and ‘kattu’ meaning package.  This refers to the bag of coins which is tied to the bull’s horns which participants try to get hold of. The bull species called Bos indicus, or humped cattle, is specifically bred for Jallikatu. The bulls that do well at the event are used latter for breeding. According to a famous legend, Lord Shiva had asked his bull, Basava, to send a message to those on Earth that they should take an oil bath daily and have food once a month for a period of six months.  But Basava mixed up the messages and ended up asking people to eat everyday and take an oil bath once a month.  This angered Lord Shiva and he punished Basava by cursing him to aid humans in ploughing fields. Those who believe in this legend pray to the cattle stock and try to tame them during Jallikattu. Tamil Nadu challenging the 2014 Supreme Court (SC) ban on a rural traditional sport—Jallikattu The participants are supposed to take control of the bull by holding its hump for as long as they can. The festival is celebrated on Mattu Pongal, the third day of the harvest festival. Its name is derived from the Tamil words ‘salli’ meaning coins and ‘kattu’ meaning package.  This refers to the bag of coins which is tied to the bull’s horns which participants try to get hold of. The bull species called Bos indicus, or humped cattle, is specifically bred for Jallikatu. The bulls that do well at the event are used latter for breeding. According to a famous legend, Lord Shiva had asked his bull, Basava, to send a message to those on Earth that they should take an oil bath daily and have food once a month for a period of six months.  But Basava mixed up the messages and ended up asking people to eat everyday and take an oil bath once a month.  This angered Lord Shiva and he punished Basava by cursing him to aid humans in ploughing fields. Those who believe in this legend pray to the cattle stock and try to tame them during Jallikattu. Why is PETA keen on banning Jallikattu? In January 2016, the Central Government lifted the ban on request of Tamil Nadu Government. This notification was challenged by PETA and Other such welfare Organizations in the Supreme Court.  PETA insists that ‘cruelty’ is not limited to slaughter but includes unnecessary suffering and torture induced on animals for the purpose of human entertainment. Therefore, PETA advocates that it is the fundamental duty of citizens of India to have compassion for all living creatures and to protect wildlife. Why are Tamilians protesting the ban on Jallikattu? They consider it symbolic of Tamilian pride as it is an ancient tradition that has been carried on for years. Jallikattu witnesses thousands of participants, attempting to tame the bulls by latching to their horns or humps.  Its innumerable references could be found in Dravidian Literature and the indigenous population of Tamilnadu has held this event for years. The Jallikattu protests are fuelled by the view that the ban impinges on the cultural identity of the populace. Conclusion: Jallikattu is a part of Tamil culture, it has to be conducted with protection to animals and human beings. It should be regulated by an authority. Age old traditions and cultures need to be revisited if they are in violation of the laws of the land. https://youtu.be/RWzY7gIYq1Q Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now

Saubhagya Scheme

Saubhagya Scheme Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – Saubhagya scheme was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 25th September 2017. Under Saubhagya free electricity connections to all households (both APL and poor families) in rural areas and poor families in urban areas will be provided.  There are around 4 Crore un-electrified households in the country and they are targeted for providing electricity connections by December 2018.   Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) has been designated as its nodal agency for the Saubhagya scheme. To expedite and monitor the electrification process under Saubhagya a web portal (www.saubhagya.gov.in) was launched by Shri R.K. Singh, Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy on 16th November 2017. The Saubhagya web portal has been designed and developed to disseminate information about the Household Electrification Status (State, District, Village wise), Household Progress as on date, State Wise Target vs Achieved, Monthly Electrification Progress, etc. Under the Saubhagya scheme, DISCOMs will also organize camps in villages/clusters of villages to facilitate on-the-spot filling up of application forms including release of electricity connections to households. DISCOMs/Power Department will also adopt innovative mechanism through dedicated web-portal/Mobile App for collection/consolidation of application form in electronic mode and also capturing process of release of electricity connections.  The details of consumers’ viz., Name and Aadhar number/Mobile number/Bank account/Driving License/Voter ID etc., as available would be collected by the DISCOMs. Scope of Saubhagya Scheme Providing last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all un-electrified households in rural areas. Providing Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) based standalone system for un-electrified households located in remote and inaccessible villages/habitations, where grid extension is not feasible or cost-effective. Providing last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all remaining economically poor un-electrified households in urban areas. Non-poor urban households are excluded from this scheme. Salient Features of Saubhagya are: All DISCOMs including Private Sector DISCOMs, State Power Departments and RE Cooperative Societies shall be eligible for financial assistance under the scheme in line with DDUGJY. The prospective beneficiary households for free electricity connections under the scheme would be identified using SECC 2011 data. However, un-electrified households not covered under SECC data would also be provided electricity connections under the scheme on payment of Rs. 500 which shall be recovered by DISCOMs in 10 installments through electricity bill.  The electricity connections to un-electrified households include provision of service line cable, energy meter including pre-paid/smart meter, single point wiring. LED lamps and associated accessories in line with technical specifications and construction standard. In case of un-electrified households located in remote and inaccessible areas, power packs of 200 to 300 Wp(with battery bank) with a maximum of 5 LED lights, 1 DC Fan, 1 DC power plug etc. may be provided along with the provision of Repair and Maintenance (R&M) for 5 years. The details of consumers viz, Name and Aadhar number/ Mobile number/ Bank account/ Driving License/Voter ID etc., as available would be collected by the DISCOMs. The defaulters whose connections have been disconnected should not be given benefit of the scheme. However, the utilities may consider settlement of old dues and reconnection as per norms. https://youtu.be/RWzY7gIYq1Q Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now

Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)

Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) is not a court, but rather an organizer of arbitral tribunals to resolve conflicts between member states, international organizations, or private parties. Established in 1899 to facilitate arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution between states, the PCA has developed into a modern, multi-faceted arbitral institution perfectly situated to meet the evolving dispute resolution needs of the international community. Significance of Permanent Court of Arbitration : Among the aims of the Conference had been the strengthening of systems of international dispute resolution—especially international arbitration.  The delegates at the Conference were mindful that, during the previous 100 years, there had been a number of successful international arbitrations, starting with the “Jay Treaty” Mixed Commissions at the end of the 18th century, and reaching a pinnacle with the Alabama arbitration in 1871-1872. In addition, the Institut de Droit International had adopted a code of procedure for arbitration in 1875. This movement toward arbitration as a means of international dispute resolution was continued in 1899, and the most concrete achievement of the 1899 Conference was the establishment of the PCA as the first global mechanism for the settlement of disputes between states. Article 16 of the 1899 Convention recognized that “in questions of a legal nature, and especially in the interpretation or application of International Conventions” arbitration is the “most effective, and at the same time the most equitable, means of settling disputes which diplomacy has failed to settle”. Accordingly, Article 20 of the 1899 Convention formally established the PCA, stating: With the object of facilitating an immediate recourse to arbitration for international differences which it has not been possible to settle by diplomacy, the signatory Powers undertake to organize a Permanent Court of Arbitration, accessible at all times and operating, unless otherwise stipulated by the parties, in accordance with the rules of procedure inserted in the present Convention. The 1899 Convention was revised at the second Hague Peace Conference in 1907. Today the PCA provides services for the resolution of disputes involving various combinations of states, state entities, intergovernmental organizations, and private parties. Three-part organizational structure: Administrative Council — oversees its policies and budgets, a Members of the Court — panel of independent potential arbitrators International Bureau — Secretariat headed by the Secretary-General. India-PCA: India is a party of the PCA according to the Hague Convention on 1899. It has ruled against the Indian government over the cancellation of a contract between telecommunications firm Devas Multimedia and Antrix Corporation Ltd., in a decision that could cost the Centre billions of dollars in damages.: In 2005, the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) commercial arm Antrix Corporation entered into an agreement with Devas to lease out satellite spectrum which the Bangalore-based company could use to provide high-quality telephony and Internet services.  The Italian marines were accused of killing two Indian fishermen :Two Italian marines — Massimiliano Latorre and Mr. Girone are facing the charge of murdering 2 Indian fishermen in 2012 off the Kerala coast. The fishermen were killed when the marines on duty aboard MV Enrica Lexie, an Italian-flagged oil tanker, fired at them. The order is binding for both countries as there is no appeal process in the UN tribunal.  The Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague has maintained that the Cairn tax issue is not a tax dispute but a tax-related investment dispute and, hence, it falls under its jurisdiction.  India’s demand in past taxes, it said, was in breach of fair treatment under the UK-India Bilateral Investment Treaty. The tribunal ordered the government to return the value of shares it had sold, dividends seized and tax refunds withheld to recover the tax demand.  The government was asked to compensate Cairn “for the total harm suffered” together with interest and cost of arbitration. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now

Manav Sampada (eHRMS- Electronic Human Resource Management System )

Manav Sampada (eHRMS- Electronic Human Resource Management System ) Manav Sampada (appropriately name for Human Capital, being the most important factor for the success of any Government, Organisation or Company) is a standard ICT solution for the Government sector, addressing maximum requirements of State Governments related to personnel management.  The first and basic objective of Manav Sampada is to provide a generic, product based solution to the State/Central Government organisations for better management of personnel through electronic service record.  It further assists the top management in knowing the exact number of employees, the retirement pattern, additional requirements in coming year for planning recruitments, funds required for retiring employees, re-allocation of surplus employees to other Departments/organisations within the State, ACR/ Property After initial implementation of the Project in Himachal Pradesh, and realising the benefits accruing/foreseen, the MeitY (then DietY) provided funds to NIC Himachal Pradesh (for making Manav Sampada a Product) and Government of Jharkhand (for replicating the Project). Accordingly, the software was converted into a Product and replicated first in Jharkhand, then in Bihar (Forest), Maharashtra (Jal Pradhikaran), Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab, Assam, Tihar Jail, New Delhi, Telangana, Goa, Ministry of Water Resources, GoI, Puducherry covering almost 16.1 lakh service books all over the country. Technology enhancement and application features Manav Sampada Cloud Hosting with Load Balancers: The software is hosted on NIC Cloud, Meghraj, with 5 load balancers to allow multiple simultaneous access by user States, with quick response times. Easy on-boarding and user friendly interface: The software on boarding has been made easier and any State can fill up the form and the Demo site credentials are issued to the State along with the creation of State instance on the cloud. Productization : The software has been converted as a Product following the Productization/ meta data standards of MeitY, using .Net MVC technology.  The product version allows local customization as per State requirements, is easy to on-board, there are no costs related to hosting/ security audit individually for States, configurable parameters/ forms allow for minor customization at State level, additional requirements are met through funding support either to NIC HP or to the concerned State on their own. Integration with AG office/ NSDL and eSalary software: The software has been integrated through web-services for providing the details of salary, GPF/ CPF details from the respective software in their employee dashboard. This also ensures that estimated pension information / retirement benefits are available in the employee dashboard at a single location, completing the eService book entries. Mobile Apps on Android and Apple platforms: Mobile apps on most popular platforms of Android and Apple have been developed for the employees to get their service book information and other related information, including applying for leaves/ tours. SMS based alerts on transactions related to Transfer, Joining, APAR submission, reporting and reviewing: The employees get transaction alerts on their mobile number if there is any transaction in the Manav Sampada software, for immediate information.  Single instance of SW catering to all States/ Organisations: The software is available to all States from a single location on the Internet with option to add on their images/ headers to present a different look.  Open API for data sharing across other platform over web services (CM/DM Dashboard, e-Taal, Treasury etc.): e Governance standards MDDS-Demographic have been used for location parameters, names of individuals, Language Code and mobile numbers etc.  Effective User Assistance: Form wise dynamic help for users, online service request and login based option for employees to raise and resolve their application queries online with their colleagues/administrators. A central help desk on phone/emails answers to the queries of users who also have access to may You Tube videos prepared by users themselves for reference of their collegues. Customizable Formats for different Functions: A customization multi-lingual form has been added in the software to enable a State to collect any kind of information, additionally, by defining the fields, labels, formats etc.  Additional services have been added in the form of Pension papers generation, online leaves/ tours/other customization requests, integration with eSalary through web services and AG Office/ NSDL for GPF/CPF (for Himachal State), Online APAR/ACR/Property Returns, availability of dashboards, intelligent system for transfers, generation of pension papers, status of payments.  This has added value for both the monitoring officials and employees. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now