political parties

20.01.18 Arunachal Pradesh(APPSC) Current Affairs

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NORTH-EASTERN STATES

·         Nagaland stands divided on assembly election announcement

 

ð  The announcement of election dates invited a polarised response in Nagaland, with political parties welcoming the move and local organizations strongly protesting against it – with the apex tribal body of the state threatening to boycott the electoral process.

 

ð  The demand for a resolution of the Naga crisis, talks for which have been on for decades, before the assembly polls has been gaining ground in the state. The Naga peace talks have centred around the creation of Nagalim, or greater Nagaland, encompassing Naga-dominated areas of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. In 2015, the Centre signed a framework agreement with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah). Since then, the Naga people have been hoping for a resolution and had expected it to come by the end of 2017, especially after President Ram Nath Kovind hinted at the possibility in December last year.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL

 

·        India became 43rd Member of Australia Group

 

  • India joined the Australia Group export control regime and has become the 43rd Member of that Group.
  • It is an informal forum which seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to the development of chemical or biological weapons.
  • The inclusion will raise India’s stature in the field of non-proliferation and help in acquiring critical technologies.
  • India managed entry into Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group despite not being a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

 

Gk bit – Australia Group

 

  • The Australia Group (AG) is an informal forum of countries which, through the harmonisation of export controls,seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to the development of chemical or biological weapons.

 

  • Coordination of national export control measures assists Australia Group participants to fulfil their obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention to the fullest extent possible.

  • This is achieved by members through the harmonisation of export controls like using licensing measures.

 

  • It was established in the background of use of chemical weapons (in the form of nerve agents and sulphur mustard) by Iraq in the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

 

  • It has 43Members + European Union

 

 

·        India to offer Yoga classes at World Economic Forum

 

  • India will offer Yoga training sessions at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, in a move aimed at promoting Indian traditions abroad.
  • More than 70 heads of states are expected to attend the summit next week. PM Narendra Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister to attend the summit in 21 years.
  • Two yoga teachers from India will hold daily classes next week at the summit, which has attracted 70 heads of state and government, including U.S. President Donald Trump as well as celebrities, chief executives and top bankers.
  • Modi will be the first Indian prime minister to attend the WEF in 21 years, since when the economy has more than doubled to $2.3 trillion and become the world’s seventh largest.

 

NATIONAL

 

  • MEITY launches Cyber Surakshit Bharat to strengthen Cybersecurity

 

  • The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), announced the Cyber Surakshit Bharat initiative in association with National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and industry partners at an inaugural event in Delhi.

 

  • It will include an awareness program on the importance of cybersecurity; a series of workshops on best practices.

 

  • Cyber Surakshit Bharat is the first public-private partnership of its kind and will leverage the expertise of the IT industry in cybersecurity.

 

  • Silvassa tops the List of Cities selected in Round 4 of Smart Cities

 

  • Shri Hardeep S. Puri , Minister of State (I/C) for Housing & Urban Affairs has announced the Round 4 winning cities of National Smart Cities Challenge.

 

  • The Minister informed that Silvassa from Dadar & Nagar Haveli has topped the list of winning cities in this round of competition.

 

  • Other winning cities are –

Erode, Tamil Nadu

Diu, Daman & Diu

Biharsharif, Bihar

Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh

Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh

Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh

Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh and

Kavaratti, Lakshwadeep

  • Maitre-2 bus services to connect India and Bangladesh

 

  • Maitre-2, the second passenger bus to Kolkata via Dhaka is started from Agartala, Tripura, to give a boost to the trans-border relationship between India and Bangladesh.

 

  • Recently, the Maitre-2 buses were flagged off by Tripura Road Transport Corporation Chairman.

 

  • The first Maitre bus service was launched in the year 2015.

 

  • Mauritius largest source of FDI in India, says RBI

 

  • Mauritius was the largest source of foreign investment in India, followed by the US and the UK, according to a census by the Reserve Bank.

 

  • Singapore and Japan were the next two sources of foreign direct investment (FDI), said the Reserve Bank of India.

 

Election Commission of India

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The Election Commission of India is an autonomous, quasi-judiciary constitutional body of India.It was established on 25 January 1950 under Article 324 of the Constitution of India. Originally the commission had only a Chief Election Commissioner. The commission presently consists of a Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners, appointed by the president.

The President appoints Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners. They have tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. They enjoy the same status and receive salary and perks as available to Judges of the Supreme Court of India. The Chief Election Commissioner cannot be removed from office, except on the grounds and in the manner on which the Supreme Court judges can be removed. However, since the other Election Commissioners and the Regional Election Commissioners work under the Chief Commissioner, they may be removed by the President on his recommendations.

The Commission conducts elections in accordance with the constitutional provisions, supplemented by laws made by Parliament. The major laws include Representation of the People Act, 1950, which mainly deals with the preparation and revision of electoral rolls, the Representation of the People Act, 1951 which deals, in detail, with all aspects of conduct of elections and post election disputes.

Functions of The Election Commission of India

  • The Superintendence, Direction and Control of Election
  • Preparation of Electoral Rolls
  • To declare the date of Election
  • To reognise and derecognise Political Parties
  • To prepare code of conduct for Political Parties
  • Control over the staff connected with Election
  • To conduct Election
  • To establish Polling Stations
  • Safety of Ballot Boxes and Counting
  • To declare ineligible for contesting Election
  • To order Re-poll
  • To issue Direction

Electoral Reforms can be achieved by two types of measures: Preventive and Punitive

  • Preventive
    • Advertisements in the press to be issued to educate voters of their rights and responsibilities, besides highlighting ethical voting
    • Meetings with NGOs and citizens’ forums and appeal to political parties and candidates for self-restraint
  • Punitive
    • CEOs of the state would identify those constituencies which were prone to high expenditure and corrupt practices. Large number of assistant expenditure observers and more number of flying squads and surveillance teams would be posted in these constituencies
    • Expenditure observer to be appointed for each district
    • Each candidate to open a separate account for election expenditure
    • All election expenditure are to be incurred by issuing cheques
    • Banks would be required to report to the Commission any suspicious withdrawal of money exceeding Rs 1 lakh
    • Set up a 24*7 call centre and complaint monitoring mechanism
    • Static surveillance teams would keep a watch on large quantities of cash or illicit liquor or any suspicious item being carried in the constituencies
    • District level media certification and monitoring committees would go into the entire process of media advertisements to check paid news

 

National and state minority commission

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National and state minority commission

Constitution of India doesn’t define the word ‘Minority’ but has used the word minorities considering two attributes religion or language of a person. For minorities Constitution of India has envisaged a number of rights and safeguards. To provide enough equality and to dwindled the discrimination, makers have spelt out various things in Fundamental Rights (PartIII); Directive Principles of State policy (Part IV) and also the Fundamental Duties (Part IV-A). However, with rising right and rising wedge between right and left and also the ephemeral political aspirations of various political parties have diluted the discrimination safeguards.

The Union Government set up the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. Six religious communities, viz; Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jains have been notified in Gazette of India as minority communities by the Union Government all over India . Original notification of 1993 was for Five religious communities Sikhs, Buddhists,Parsis,Christians and Muslims.

Functions and Powers

  • Evaluate the progress of the development of Minorities under the Union and States.
  • Monitor the working of the safeguards provided in the Constitution and in laws enacted by Parliament and the State Legislatures.
  • Make recommendations for the effective implementation of safeguards for the protection of the interests of Minorities by the Central Government or the State Governments.
  • Look into specific complaints regarding deprivation of rights and safeguards of the Minorities and take up such matters with the appropriate authorities.
  • Cause studies to be undertaken into problems arising out of any discrimination against Minorities and recommend measures for their removal.
  • Conduct studies, research and analysis on the issues relating to socio-economic and educational development of Minorities.
  • Suggest appropriate measures in respect of any Minority to be undertaken by the Central Government or the State Governments.
  • Make periodical or special reports to the Central Government on any matter pertaining to Minorities and in particular the difficulties confronted by them.
  • Any other matter which may be referred to it by the Central Government.

The Commission has the following powers:

  • Summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person from any part of India and examining him on oath.
  • Requiring the discovery and production of any document.
  • Receiving evidence on affidavit.
  • Requisitioning any public record or copy thereof from any court or office.
  • Issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses and documents.

State minority commission

The recognition of any community as a religious minority means that the States should have a State level Commission to ensure that the rights and privileges allowed to the minorities under law are not denied to them. In a situation of difficulty a member of the minority community can invoke the law that safeguards his interests. In pursuance of this objective, each State in the Union including Union Territories are required to set up respective Minority Commission to cater to the needs and interests of the minority communities in the concerned states. However, the Union Minister for Minorities, while replying to a question in the Parliament disclosed that twelve States, including four ruled by BJP and its allies, and six Union Territories (UTs) have not set up Minorities Commissions at their respective levels. Incidentally, Jammu and Kashmir also figures in the list of twelve States with no Minority Commission.

 

31.01.18 Arunachal Pradesh(APPSC) Current Affairs

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NORTH-EASTERN STATES

  • Nagaland receives no instruction from EC

 

  • Nagaland state election authority has not received any instruction from the Election Commission 24 hours after all major political parties agreed not to contest the upcoming assembly polls slated for February 27 alleging the Centre’s failure to resolve the main political problem.

 

  • According to state election department sources, the authority was aware of the decision and they passed the message to the ElectionCommission.

 

  • Many political functionaries in Kohima callerstate chief election officer Abhijeet Sinha on Tuesday who said that they won’t halt the process until they receive any instruction from the country’s poll panel which announced the poll scheduled two weeks back.

 

  • All major political parties on Monday signed a joint statement prepared by the civil society organizations not to contest the polls without a complete solution of the vexed decade old problem.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL

 

  • India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) sign $250 Million Loan

 

  • The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a $250 million loan to finance the construction of 6,254 kilometers all-weather rural roads in the States of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal under the Prime Minister’s Rural Roads Program (PMGSY).

 

  • The First Tranche Loan is part of the $500 million Second Rural Connectivity Investment Program for India approved by the ADB Board in December 2017.

 

  • The program is aimed at improving rural connectivity, facilitating safer and more efficient access to livelihood and socio-economic opportunities for rural communities through improvements to about 12,000 kilometers Rural Roads across the 5 States.

 

·        India Ranks 6th In The List Of Wealthiest Countries

 

  • India ranked sixth in the list of wealthiest countries with the total wealth of 8,230 billion US dollars.
  • The list was topped by the United States of America, according to a report by New World Wealth.
  • He was the best-performing wealth market globally in 2017 as its total wealth swelled from 6,584 billion dollars in 2016 to 8,230 billion dollars in 2017, registering a 25% growth.

 

 

  • India ranks 62th in inclusive development index by World Economic Forum

 

Inclusive Development Index

 

  • 103 countries
  • 74 –developing countries
  • India ranked 62th
  • Three individual pillars — growth and development; inclusion; and inter-generational equity — has been divided into two parts. The first part covers 29 advanced economies and the second 74 emerging economies.

 

  • Growth score (6 level)— receding, slowly receding, stable, slowly advancing and advancing.

 

  • The top-five most inclusive emerging economies are Lithuania, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Latvia and Poland.

 

  • India ranks 72nd for inclusion, 66th for growth and development and 44th for inter-generational equity.

 

  • Three parameters -Standard of living-  Environment stability – future generation indebtedness

 

  • India is above only from South africa in BRICS countries.

 

NATIONAL

 

·        India becomes third largest producer of crude steel

 

  • According to a recent report published by World Steel Association (WSA), India overtook the US to become the world’s third-largest steel producer in 2018.
  • China has remained world leader by producing 831.7 MT in 2017, up 5.7% from 786.9 MT in the year-ago period.
  • Japan is second largest global steel producer.
  • The Global steel production had reached 1,691.2 MT in 2017, up by 5.3% compared to 2016 when output was 1,606.3 MT.
  • It includes over 160 steel producers with 9 of the 10 largest steel companies, national and regional steel industry associations, and steel research institutes.
  • It was founded in July 1967 and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.

 

  • Stree Swabhiman Initiative launched for Women Health and Hygiene

 

  • The Information Technology and Electronics Ministry of the country has announced to launch the new scheme initiative under Stree Swabhiman Drive.

  • The new initiative has been introduced by the Ministry and CSC to ensure and maintain perfect health for Women and at the same time to maintain Health Hygiene.

 

  • Prime Minister to launch Khelo India School Games in the Capital

 

  • Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will launch the first Khelo India School Games at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on January 31, 2018.

 

  • The Khelo India programme has been introduced to revive the sports culture in India at the grass-root level by building a strong framework for all sports played in our country and establishing India as a great sporting nation.

 

  • Talented players identified in priority sports disciplines at various levels by a High-Powered Committee will be provided annual financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh per annum for 8 years.

 

  • The Khelo India School Games are being held from 31st January to 8th February, 2018 in New Delhi.

 

  • It is being implemented in 150 Colleges and 20 Universities.

 

  • Under-17 athletes have been invited to participate across 16 disciplines.

 

·        India to witness super blue moon with lunar eclipse

  • India would witness a ‘super blue blood‘ moon between 5:15 PM and 7:37 PM on as the Moon goes from east to west.
  • Occurring for the first time since 1866, the second Full Moon of the month, often called a Blue Moon, would coincide with a lunar eclipse giving it a blood-red tint, with the Moon also being a supermoon.

 

·        Indian Navy launches third Scorpene class submarine Karanj

 

  • The Indian Navy launched ‘Karanj,’the third Scorpene class submarine.
  • The submarine, constructed by shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL)in Mumbai.
  • The first of the six Scorpene-class submarines, Kalvari, was commissioned into the Indian Navy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month.
  • He had called its induction a big step in the country’s defense preparedness.
  • On the occasion, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had called submarine building a sophisticated and exacting craft, which only a handful of countries possess in their industrial capacity.

 

  • The second one, INS Khandari, was launched on January 12 this year is currently undergoing sea trials.

 

  • The Scorpene submarines are a primary modernization requirement of the Indian Navy, which is currently faced with an ageing submarine fleet, and that too when the Chinese navy has a growing presence in the Indian Ocean.

 

  • The technology being used for construction of the Scorpene class submarines has ensured superior stealth features such as advanced acoustic silencing techniques, low radiated noise levels and hydrodynamically optimized shape. These stealth features give it an invulnerability, unmatched by most submarine.

 

·        Environment Minister Harshvardhan Launches PetaFlop Super Computer

 

  • Environment Minister Harshvardhan launched a 8 PetaFlop capacityhigh-performance computer system ‘Mihir’ in Noida.
  • The system will be able to predict weather and climate accurately. This will be helpful in addressing the various issues of agriculture operations and fishing in the country.
  • The system will help the department in predicting severe climate-related calamities and warnings for fishermen.
  • With the launch of the system, India has joined the elite 30 member group of countries which have this advanced technology.

Political Parties and Pressure Groups

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Political Parties and Elections Political parties are an established part of modern mass democracy, and the conduct of elections in India is largely dependent on the behaviour of political parties. Although many candidates for Indian elections are independent, the winning candidates for Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections usually stand as members of political parties, and opinion polls suggest that people tend to vote for a party rather than a particular candidate.

Political parties are an established part of modern mass democracy, and the conduct of elections in India is largely dependent on the behaviour of political parties. Although many candidates for Indian elections are independent, the winning candidates for Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections usually stand as members of political parties, and opinion polls suggest that people tend to vote for a party rather than a particular candidate. Parties offer candidates organisational support, and by offering a broader election campaign, looking at the record of government and putting forward alternative proposals for government, help voters make a choice about how the government is run.

Political parties have to be registered with the Election Commission. The Commission determines whether the party is structured and committed to principles of democracy, secularism and socialism in accordance with the Indian Constitution and would uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India. Parties are expected to hold organisational elections and have a written constitution.

According to certain criteria, set by the Election Commission regarding the length of political activity and success in elections, parties are categorised by the Commission as National or State parties, or simply declared registered-unrecognised parties. How a party is classified determines a party’s right to certain privileges, such as access to electoral rolls and provision of time for political broadcasts on the state-owned television and radio stations – All India Radio and Doordarshan – and also the important question of the allocation of the party symbol. Party symbols enable illiterate voters to identify the candidate of the party they wish to vote for. National parties are given a symbol that is for their use only, throughout the country. State parties have the sole use of a symbol in the state in which they are recognised as such Registered-unrecognised parties can choose a symbol from a selection of ‘free’ symbols.

Pressure groups are those informal organisations that come into existence for the protection of special interests and influence the activities of the government by different methods.

Pressure groups are not primarily political in nature. For example, although Rashtriya Swayamak Sangh (RSS) supports the Bharatiya Janata Party, it is, by and large, a cultural organization. The political parties are basically political. Pressure groups do not seek direct power; they only influence those who are in power for moulding decisions in their favour. The political parties seek power to form the government. Pressure groups do not contest elections; they only support political parties of their choice. Political parties nominate candidates, contest elections, and participate in election campaigns.  Pressure groups do not necessarily have political ideologies. Political parties are always wedded to their ideologies. For example, the Congress party is wedded to the ideologies of socialism, secularism and democracy; the Communists advocate the interests of workers, peasants and other weaker sections. The interests of the pressure groups are usually specific and particular, whereas the political parties have policies and programmes with national and international ramifications.

BUDGETARY REFORMS    

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Government bodies raise money by imposing taxes on citizens and then use those funds to pursue various programs such as education, defence, infrastructure and research and development. A government’s budget describes all of its sources of income and where it spends that income, and budget reform is the process of making changes to how the government collects and spends money.

Governments pursue budget reform for many reasons. If government spending is greater than the amount of money the government takes in with taxes, reform may be necessary to balance the budget and control government debt. Politicians may pursue changes in government spending or taxation to gain favor with their constituents.

Budget reform can have many potential benefits. Reforms can reduce wasteful expenditures and help lessen government deficit, potentially leading to surpluses. A surplus occurs when a government takes in more money than it spends. Budget reform can result in funding for new beneficial programs or increases in funding education, infrastructure or other areas to help certain individuals or organizations. Tax reforms can benefit individuals and businesses if they reduce their tax burden. Cutting taxes can stimulate spending, which can help stimulate economic activity.

Budget reform only describes changing the collection or spending of money, not whether spending or collection goes up or down. Any potential benefit to budget reform can also be a drawback if changes occur in an unfavourable direction. For instance, if the government reforms its budget by cutting spending on education and infrastructure, it could hurt students and those who rely on public infrastructure spending for their jobs. Increases in spending can make governments fall into debt.

Government spending and taxation is controversial, and any budget reform that a government pursues is likely to be viewed as beneficial by some and negatively by others. Budget reforms passed by Congress often reflect a compromise between desires of different political parties.

The parliamentary committee headed by the Congress MP M Veerappa Moily, had been constituted to review the all budgetary reforms. Besides the budget, the committee will also review the disinvestment policy, banking sector in India.

Budgetary Reform in India for 2017

The Union Cabinet had given in principle approval last year for advancement of the date of Budget presentation from the last day of February to a suitable date.

Besides in another reform relating to budgetary process, Union Cabinet had approved merger of Plan and Non Plan classification in Budget and Accounts.

Advancement of the date of Budget presentation Benefits Pave way for early completion of Budget cycle and enable Central Ministries and Departments to ensure better planning and execution of schemes from beginning of financial year. It will also enable Central Ministries and Departments to ensure better utilize the full working seasons including the first quarter of the year. It will preclude the need of appropriation through ‘Vote on Account’. It will enable implementation of legislative changes in tax and laws for new taxation measures from the beginning of financial year.

Merger of Plan and Non Plan classification in Budget and Accounts the Union Cabinet also approved proposal of Union Finance Ministry to do away with the Plan and Non-Plan expenditure classification from 2017-18and replace with ‘capital and receipt’. The relevance of plan and non-plan expenditure was lost after the abolition of the Planning Commission. However Budget will continue earmarking funds for Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan/Tribal Sub-Plan and similarly, the allocations for North Eastern States. Plan/Non-Plan will help in resolving the following issues This distinction of expenditure had led to a fragmented view of resource allocation to various schemes. It had made it difficult to ascertain cost of delivering a service and also to link outlays to outcomes. It had led to bias in favour of Plan expenditure by Centre as well as the State Governments and had neglected essential expenditures on maintenance of assets and other establishment related expenditures to provide essential social services. The merger is expected to provide appropriate budgetary framework that will have focus on the capital and revenue expenditure.