Current Affairs - 29 November 2015

General Affairs

Indian Courts Have Always Defended Free Speech and Expression: Arun Jaitley

• NEW DELHI:  Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said courts in the country have always upheld and defended the right to free speech and expression.
  
  "Courts in India have always defended the right to free speech, guaranteed under the Article 19 of Indian Constitution. We can compete with European courts in this," said Mr Arun Jaitley while addressing a session at the Times LitFest being held in the city.
  
  Following Independence, he said, the judicial system in the country was "weak" as it was "overpowered" by the governments. But there were many landmark judgements that "resisted" the government's authority, he added.
  
  Speaking about "Five legal cases that have shaped Indian democracy", he mentioned two such cases holding significance in the context. Mr Arun Jaitley said the Kesavananda Bharati vs. State of Kerala case was the "most important" case in history as the Supreme Court outlined the basic structure of the Indian Constitution.
  
  Mr Arun Jaitley also said Maneka Gandhi vs. Union of India was another case, where Ms Gandhi's passport was impounded by the state, that highlighted the "supremacy of fundamental rights" in the country.
  
  He also said the "judgement on gay sex should be reconsidered" by the courts.

Nestle India Questions Lucknow Lab Test on Pasta

• 

  NEW DELHI:  Nestle India, which is facing a fresh controversy over its pasta products after Maggi noodles, today questioned the validity of lab test done by the Uttar Pradesh government saying it was neither "NABL accredited" nor "notified by FSSAI".
  
  Reiterating that its MAGGI Pazzta is 100 per cent safe, Nestle India said that Lucknow-based National Foods Analysis Laboratory and its reports can not be relied upon.
  
  "The media reports also mention that the tests have been conducted at National Foods Analysis Laboratory, Lucknow. The laboratory is not National Accreditation Board For Testing And Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited nor is notified by  Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The results of the laboratories which are not accredited cannot be relied upon," said a Nestle India spokesperson.
  
  

  The company further added that it came to know about the alleged presence of lead in its pasta through media reports only, and it is investigating these claims.
  
  "We have not received any formal notification from the authorities in UP or from the FSSAI about such test results," he said adding: "We will work with the authorities to resolve the situation as quickly as possible."
  
  On Friday, a Uttar Pradesh state government official has claimed that they had found presence of lead in Nestle's Pazzta beyond permissible limits.
  
  Pasta samples collected from Nestle distributor -- Sriji Traders -- at Mau district in the state on June 10, were sent to a government food testing laboratory in Lucknow, designated Officer at Food and Drug Administration,Mau, Arvind Yadav said on Friday.
  
  "According to report received on September 2, they failed the tests," he added.
  
  "The standard limit is 2.5 PPM (parts per million) while it has been found to be 6 PPM. The letter informing Nestle company sent at its Modinagar address has come back here undelivered," Mr Yadav said.
  
  As per the company's website, Nestle sells pasta under its brand Maggi Pazzta in four flavours - Masala Penne, Cheese Macaroni, Mushroom Penne and Tomato Twist.

Writers' Role Critical in 'Inducing Sanity' in Society: Hamid Ansari

• NEW DELHI:  India's unmatched diversity of literary traditions reflects its plural ethos, Vice President Hamid Ansari said today even as he emphasised on the critical role of writers and narrators in "inducing sanity in an increasingly maddening world".
  
  A well-developed literary tradition is the hallmark of every civilisation, Vice President Ansari said, adding India has an unmatched diversity of literary traditions in many languages and cultural patterns.
  
  "This is reflective of our plural ethos that has accommodated and enriched a wide variety of impulses and influences," he said.
  
  

  He said the sense of unity that pervades the fabric of Indian society is intangible.
  
  "It is reflective of a continuum from the traditional to the modern and post-modern, in prose, poetry and the multiplicity of oral narratives," the Vice President added.
  
  The writers and narrators are inheritors of a very rich legacy, he said, adding that "their role in inducing sanity in an increasingly maddening world would remain critical".
  
  The Vice President was speaking at the 'Delhi Literature Festival', organised by The Times of India.
  
  Vice President Ansari said that he had been given to understand that the event is a people's festival covering an entire spectrum of ideas from scholarship to social media, from high art to street expressions, from 'dastaan-goi' to budding novelists, from films to sports.
  
  The festival, he said, aspires to be a bridge between ivory tower and the town hall.

Stop Seeing China as an Adversary: Arup Raha

• HASIMARA (WEST BENGAL):  Calling for mature statesmanship from India and China, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha today said the country should not look at China as an adversary anymore.
  
  "We are in the same region, we have common interests.
  
  I don't think that we should look at them as adversaries anymore," Raha told reporters in Alipurduar district.
  
  

  "Yes, we had fought a conflict, we have borders to settle. I think its time for mature statesmanship from both the countries to reconcile on many issues ... and cooperate (and) coordinate (for) development in the region," he said when asked about the "threat" from China.
  
  Stating that two rising economic or military powers can co-exist, he said, the adversarial stance should now change into a more friendly stance.
  
  Earlier this month, the IAF chief was reported to have cited China's growing influence in the Indian subcontinent as a major security challenge for India.
  
  China's increasing economic and military ties with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar are all strategic moves by China to contain India, he had said.

Russia-Turkey War of Words Escalates Over Downed Warplane

• MOSCOW:  Moscow slapped sanctions on Ankara on Friday as the war of words over a downed Russian warplane escalated, with Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan warning Russia not to "play with fire".
  
  Russia announced it was halting a visa-free regime for Turkish visitors, after threatening a raft of retaliatory economic measures to punish the NATO member state.
  
  Tuesday's incident has sent recriminations flying between two rival players in the Syrian war just as countries such as France are pushing for a broader coalition to try to defeat the ISIS group.
  
  The angry exchange has not been limited to official channels.
  
  

  In Crimea, a group of young people gathered around a hay effigy with the face of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan set up on the main square of Simferopol.
  
  Activists in Moscow, belonging to a youth wing of the conservative Rodina party, put a life-size inflatable doll of Erdogan in a coffin and delivered it to the Turkish embassy.
  
  Pictures on the group's website also showed the activists laying several funeral wreaths with ribbons saying "From Russian patriots to US puppets" outside the embassy.
  
  Police detained two organisers. They were let go when law enforcement discovered they were municipal lawmakers, the group said.
  
  "We advise Russia not to play with fire," Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara, lashing out at Russia's response to the downing as well as its support of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
  
  Erdogan nevertheless said he wanted a direct meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin when the two leaders are in Paris next week for the UN climate summit.
  
  But Moscow officially responded coolly, saying Turkey has yet to apologise for shooting down the jet on the Syrian border.
  
  'Crossed the line'
  
  Turkey says the Su-24 warplane strayed into its airspace and ignored repeated warnings but Russia insisted it did not cross from Syria.
  
  It is thought to be the first downing of a Russian plane by a NATO member in more than half a century.
  
  One of the pilots was shot dead in Syria after parachuting out of the burning plane while the second was found safe and sound, but one Russian soldier was killed in a rescue operation.
  
  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Turkey had "crossed the line of what is acceptable" and warned the incident could severely undermine both its national and regional interests.
  
  Moscow has ruled out any military response, but has pledged broad measures targeting entire sectors of the Turkish economy including tourism, agriculture and possibly key energy projects.
  
  Lavrov said Turkish nationals would require visas from January 1, after Putin this week warned citizens not to travel to Turkey -- a hugely popular destination for Russians.
  
  "Russia is quite concerned with increasing terrorist threats in the Republic of Turkey," Lavrov added, after a spate of bloody attacks blamed on ISIS extremists there.
  
  Opposed in Syria
  
  Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday gave ministers two days to work out a plan to curb cooperation with Turkish companies after Russia said it would tighten checks on food imports over alleged safety standard violations.
  
  Moscow has also hinted the reprisals could hit two major projects with Turkey -- a planned gas pipeline and a nuclear power plant.
  
  The two countries have built trade ties in recent years and Russia is already energy-poor Turkey's biggest oil and gas supplier.
  
  But they are on opposing sides in the Syrian conflict, with Ankara backing rebels fighting to topple Assad while Moscow is one of his last remaining allies.
  
  Erdogan, whose ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) won a landslide election victory earlier this month, said Turkey did not "deliberately" shoot down the plane.
  
  He dismissed Putin's criticism of the incident as "unacceptable", noting that Russian planes had twice violated Turkish air space in October.
  
  He also attacked the Kremlin's policy in Syria after it launched air strikes in September, saying it was backing the "murderer" Assad and not targeting ISIS jihadists.

Business Affairs 

India's economic growth will soon be in double digit, says Rajnath Singh

• Taking a dig at the economic policies of the previous UPA government, Union Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the country's economy was revived by the Modi government and India has now become the hot favourite destination for foreign investors .

  The Union Home minister exuded confidence that in a few years, India's economic growth would in double digit. Singh said: "A number of significant steps were taken when the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government came to power in late 1990s, due to which the GDP growth rate had touched 8 per cent and the the then prevailing global economic recession did not impact the country.

  "But after 2004, even though there was growth initially, the momentum lost gradually. The country could not achieve the desired growth. They could not match the momentum achieved by the Vajpayee government.

  "By 2014, the economic condition of the country further deteriorated. When the Modi government assumed charge, you all know what was the economic condition of the country," he said at a function of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi.

  "The UPA government was in power between 2004-14. The Home Minister said after the NDA government assumed charge in May 2014, the economy was put back on track and now the GDP growth rate is around 7.5 - 7.6 per cent.

  "India has become the hot favourite destination for foreign investors. I am sure in a few years, India's economic growth would in double digit," he said.

  Singh, however, said that he would not like to claim that prices of all essential commodities have come down but asserted that prices of many goods have come down significantly.

  "Our political opponents say that prices of pulses have gone up, vegetable prices have gone up. They create a hue and cry over it. But we have taken a number of steps to reduce the prices. We have imported many essential commodities so that prices are under control," he said.

  Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already made it clear that the prime objective of the government was to speed up the economic engine.

  "The government has taken several significant steps and as a result not only domestic investors but foreign investors were getting confidence," Singh said.

  "There is a sense of confidence among investors. This government means business, this government is business friendly, this government is investors friendly, a decisive government," he said.

  The Union Minister said that the government has made many procedural and structural reforms while level of corruption has come down significantly and there was perception globally now that corruption has come down in India.

  "There is complete transparency in government too. India will soon become one of the five top economies in the world. We are trying to make common people part of the development process," he said.

Why GST is the biggest tax reform in India since independence

• The GST bill, which subsumes all indirect taxes to create one rate and integrate the country into a single market is the biggest tax reform that is being undertaken since Independence.

  The bill has been approved by the Lok Sabha and is pending approval of Rajya Sabha where the government lacks a majority.

  The GST aims to cut red tape for taxpayers by replacing an array of central excise and state levies such as sales tax and VAT which currently range from 25 per cent to 30 per cent by a single rate of 18 per cent that is currently under consideration.

  It will also end the practice of imposing a levy on goods coming from outside a state which sees long queues of trucks stuck at state barriers which also slows the movement of goods across the country.

  The services tax which currently works out to 14.5 per cent after including the Swachh cess will go up to 18 per cent to bring it at par with the goods tax so that there is a uniform tax for both goods and services in the new GST regime.

  The GST is expected to bring about a qualitative change in the tax system by redistributing the burden of taxation equitably between manufacturing and services. The Finance Commission had commissioned a study by NCAER to assess its impact on GDP growth and exports. Preliminary results of the study indicate that the growth in GDP can be between 2-2.5 per cent with the implementation of a welldesigned GST. The increase in exports can be between 10-14 per cent.

  It is because of this reason that the government is keen to push through economic reform. Finance ministry officials say introducing the new tax could increase the revenues of the Centre and state governments substantially as all consumers would pay taxes on most goods and services. However, many state governments fear revenue losses as a result of GST being introduced, and a parallel discussion is also under way about how to compensate them, complicating efforts to reach a workable compromise.

  The Empowered Committee of State finance ministers which met last week failed to reach a consensus over the threshold for levying the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) which is expected to further delay the introduction of this key economic reform.

  While the Centre is of the view that threshold for levying central GST and state GST be kept at an annual turnover of Rs 25 lakh, some small states want it to be at Rs 10 lakh.

  While some states are adamant that it should be Rs 10 lakh, others are of the view the limit should be higher as bringing small traders under GST would lead to an 'inspector raj' and harassment of businessmen.

  It has now been decided to collect data from all states. The state finance ministers have referred to a sub-committee the issue of threshold below which small businesses would be exempted from the new levy.

Indian ports to make Rs.6,000 crore profit by 2016, says Nitin Gadkari

• Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said the profitability of the Indian port sector by the end of current year will reach around Rs 6,000 crore.

  The profit would be invested for creating assets to spur up growth, he said.

  Addressing a session at the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here, the minister said in the next five years the contribution of highways and shipping sector to national GDP would rise to two percent from current insignificant level.

  With poised growth, the roads, highways and shipping sectors would be able to create 50 lakh employment opportunities, he said.

  Gadkari said the infrastructure sector in India would witness massive changes and transformation in next few years as by then many four-lane roads and highways would be converted into eight-lane ones as also a large number of national highways be turned into expressways.

  He said the necessary permissions and approvals for undertaking such assignments have been completed and hoped the bill relating to making 111 water-ways would be cleared in the winter session of parliament.

Civil Aviation Ministry eases norms for aircraft imports

• Relaxing the norms for aircraft imports, the Civil Aviation Ministry on Saturday said carriers would now be required to get the initial approval only from sectoral regulator DGCA .

  The move would make the approval process easier for the domestic carriers, most of which are looking to expand their fleet.

  Currently, scheduled as well as regional scheduled operators are required to seek the Ministry's approval for import and acquisition of aircraft.

  The ministry has decided to delegate the power to grant "initial NOC (No Objection Certificate)/In-principle approval for import or acquisition of aircraft to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)," an official release said today.

  The delegation of power is being done in order to simplify procedures as compliance of various Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) are regulated by the DGCA, it added.

  To implement the changes with regard to approval framework for aircraft import, the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and RBI have also amended their existing notification and master circular, respectively.

  While the DGFT made the amendments on October 9, RBI effected the changes on November 26.

  "DGCA has now been requested to make necessary amendment in the related CAR/Rules in accordance with it," the release said.

  The easing of approval requirements also comes at a time when the ministry is working on a new aviation policy that seeks to provide various incentives for the sector.

  Earlier this week, RBI said banks can allow advance remittances for aircraft imports once the company has approval from DGCA.

  Previously, advance remittance was allowed by banks only when the importing entity had requisite approvals from Civil Aviation Ministry, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and other agencies.

  "... banks may, while allowing advance remittance without bank guarantee or an unconditional, irrevocable standby letter of credit up to $50 million, ensure that only the requisite approval of DGCA for import of aircrafts/helicopters," have been obtained by the company, RBI had said.

DRIVE A HARD BARGAIN

• India has a unique position among the 196 countries that are meeting in Paris on November 30 for the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference. It has a gigantic voluntary emission reduction commitment, given its relatively low per capita carbon emission.

  The country has an estimated $2.5 trillion plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP by 33-35 per cent from the 2005 levels and it hopes to do that by 2030 if things go according to plan. This is despite the fact that the per capita carbon emission (per tonne per person) in India is just 1.6 as against 16.4 in the United States and 7.4 in the European Union.

  By voluntarily proposing a near impossible task, India is at the risk of losing face when it comes to honouring its commitment. The only way to avoid that is to make it clear that the proposal means nothing until there is sufficient financial and technical support to implement it.

  There is a rationale to do it too. The climate change talks began in 1992 with an understanding that the industrialised or developed countries would - as they are the source of most greenhouse gas emissions - do the most to cut emissions on home ground. It was also agreed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that developed nations would support climate change activities in developing countries by providing financial support for action. Over the years, leading polluters have tried to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, but they are still way above levels in India. For instance, China, United States and the European Union account for approximately 55 per cent of the annual global emissions. India has a 5.7 per cent share, but its population and development needs make it more difficult to scale down emissions than most of the developed countries. Despite the odds, India remains active in climate change negotiations through voluntary commitments. This is primarily because the country is also one of the most vulnerable to adverse effects of climate change.

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  A recent World Bank report Shock Waves: Managing the Impacts of Climate Change on Poverty says that in the next 15 years, an additional 100 million people, mostly in Africa and South Asia, could get pushed into poverty due to the adverse impact of climate change on agriculture and public health with more frequent disease outbreaks. Almost 45 million of these additional poor will belong to India. This report was intentionally released just ahead of the UNFCC meet to underscore the need for emission control measures. The World Bank prescribed solutions - of rapid, inclusive and climate-smart development, together with emission reduction efforts that protect the poor - constitute the core of India's voluntary commitment formally known as the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). These actions will form the basis of negotiations on the new international agreement on climate change in Paris.
  

  Seen from this context, India's INDC is highly ambitious and reflects the serious socio-economic threat it faces from climate change. It aims to develop India's renewable energy capacity from the current 36 gigawatt (GW) to 250 GW or approximately 40 percent of the total energy production by 2030 (its current share in India is just 13 percent). Similarly, it wants to create an additional carbon storage and absorption capacity for 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030, through greater forest and tree cover.

  While the objectives are laudable, the fact remains that even if India meets its commitments it still does not insulate the country from the perils of climate change, a global phenomenon. For the World Bank prescribed solutions to work, the emission reduction and mitigation targets of the major polluters should be much greater than that of India. Emission reduction commitments and financial support to developing countries are both integral to the success of the Paris talks. Indeed, unless the negotiating parties agree to common and differentiated responsibilities, the agreement will not be comprehensive, balanced, equitable and pragmatic.

  India has very little left to trade off in the Paris negotiations. It should have started off by offering less, and raised its commitment gradually on the basis of reciprocity. Now, having lost that chance, it should take a clear position that the implementation of these targets solely depends upon the international financial and technical help it receives and the level of commitments others make.

  Fulfilment of these commitments also means huge business opportunities. India alone needs to spend $834 billion on mitigation activities while its estimates for implementing adaptation actions in agriculture, forestry, fisheries infrastructure, water resources and ecosystems is $206 billion. In energy sector alone, the investment will be about $7.7 billion.

  The developed countries may not be the ones to be worst hit by changes in the climate. But they may benefit the most from the money spent on climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.

General Awareness

First National Constitution Day

• • In October, while laying the foundation stone of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Memorial in Mumbai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that this year onwards, November 26 would be observed as Constitution Day.
    
    
    

    • The Constitution Day events will be a part of the year-long nationwide celebrations to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar.
    • With this day India will pay its tribute to “the great men and women” who gave the country its constitution and recognize the “stellar contribution” of Dr B R Ambedkar.

    Why it is observed on 26 November?

    National constitutional Day is observed on Nov 26 because on this day in 1949, the constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly.

    • However, it came into force on Jan 26, 1950 which is celebrated as India’s Republic Day.

    Facts about Constitution of India

    Constitution of India was neither printed nor typed. It was handwritten and calligraphed in both Hindi and English.

    • Currently, the original copies have been kept in special helium-filled cases in the Library of the Parliament.
    • It’s the longest written constitution of any independent country of the world.
    • Constitution of India borrowed several ideas from other countries, hence, it is known as abag of borrowings.
    • Concept of 5-year-plans was taken from USSR.
    • Concepts of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity were taken from the French constitution.
    • The law, which the Supreme Court of India follows, was taken from Japan.
    • Directive principles were taken from Ireland.
    • The Constituent Assembly had 284 members including 15 women members.
    • Constitution of India is known as the best constitution of the world as it has only seen 94 amendments.