नई श्रम संहिता को मंजूरी
प्रधानमंत्री की अध्‍यक्षता में केंद्रीय मंत्रिमंडल ने व्‍यावसायिक सुरक्षा, स्‍वास्‍थ्‍य और कार्यस्‍थल स्थिति विधेयक, 2019 संहिता को संसद में पेश करने की मंजूरी दे दी है। इसके माध्‍यम से विधेयक में श्रमिकों की सुरक्षा, स्‍वास्‍थ्‍य और कार्यस्‍थल की स्थितियों से संबंधित व्‍यवस्‍थाओं को वर्तमान की तुलना में कई गुना बेहतर बनाया जा सकेगा
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20860-2019-07-12-02-50-13
#centralcabinet #Newlaborcode #NarendraModi #WorkingConditionsBill

अनियंत्रित जमा योजना पाबंदी विधेयक 2019 को मंजूरी
प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्‍द्र मोदी की अध्‍यक्षता में केन्‍द्रीय मंत्रिमंडल ने अनियंत्रित जमा योजना पाबंदी विधेयक, 2019 को मंजूरी दे दी है। यह विधेयक अनियंत्रित जमा योजना पाबंदी अध्‍यादेश, 2019 का स्‍थान लेगा।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20859-2019-41
#NarendraModi #Ordinancepromulgated #uds #bill

ट्रांसजेंडर विधेयक 2019 को मंजूरी
प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी की अध्यक्षता में केंद्रीय मंत्रिमंडल ने ट्रांसजेंडर व्यक्ति (अधिकारों की सुरक्षा) विधेयक 2019 को प्रस्तुत करने के प्रस्ताव को मंजूरी दी है। यह विधेयक संसद के आगामी सत्र में प्रस्तुत किया जायेगा। यह विधेयक इन व्यक्तियों के सामाजिक, आर्थिक और शैक्षिक सशक्तिकरण के लिए एक कार्य प्रणाली उपलब्ध कराता है।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20858-2019-40
#TransgenderBill #NarendraModi #ProtectionofRights #bill

विश्व जनसंख्या दिवस 2019
11 जुलाई विश्व जनसंख्या दिवस के रूप में मनाया जाता है, लेकिन आम लोगों में यह इतना प्रसिद्ध नहीं है। ऐसे में जनसंख्या के मुद्दे के बारे में आम लोगों को जागरूक करना बहुत आवश्यक है।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20857-2019-39
#Worldpopulationday #ST #SC #Delhi #Mumbai

आर्टिफिशियल इंटेलीजेंस आधारित सिस्टम
भारतीय प्रौद्योगिकी संस्थान (IIT) मद्रास ने भारत में आर्टिफिशियल इंटेलीजेंस (Artificial Intelligence) के क्षेत्र में नवोंमेष को बढ़ावा देने के मकसद से ‘एआइ-4भारत’ नामक प्लेटफॉर्म लांच किया। यहां कृषि, स्वास्थ्य देखभाल और अन्य क्षेत्रों की स्थानीय समस्याओं का समाधान करने के लिए एआइ बनाने में मदद करेगा।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20856-2019-07-12-02-49-40
#ArtificialIntelligence #IIT #IndianInstituteofTechnology #AI4India


Second IRSED held
The Second India-Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue (IRSED) was held in New Delhi, under the chairmanship of Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman, National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog and Mr. TimurMaksimov, Deputy Minister of the Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20866-second-irsed-held
#IRSED #NITI#RajivKumar #EconomicDevelopment #RussianFederation

New Code of labour laws
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved for introduction of the Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Bill, 2019 in the Parliament.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20865-new-code-of-labour-laws
#centralcabinet #Newlaborcode #NarendraModi #WorkingConditionsBill

The Transgender Bill 2019 approved
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal to introduce The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019. The Bill will be introduced in the ensuing Session of Parliament.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20864-the-transgender-bill-2019-approved
#TransgenderBill #NarendraModi #ProtectionofRights #bill

Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill 2019
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019. It will replace the banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance, 2019.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20863-banning-of-unregulated-deposit-schemes-bill-2019
#NarendraModi #Ordinancepromulgated #uds #bill

Model t

Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill 2019
The Rajya Sabha passed the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 unanimously after a fervent appeal from the Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21010-protection-of-human-rights-amendment-bill-2019
#HumanRights #Bill #NHRC #RajyaSabha #SHRC

NAG tests successfully
Nag missile successfully tested! The trials of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed third Generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile `NAG’’ were carried out successfully by the Indian Army at the Pokhran Field Firing Ranges recently.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21009-nag-tests-successfully
#NAG #Nagmissile #DRDO #IndianArmy #NAMICA

Cryptocurrency panel report
The committee set up to look into the legality of cryptocurrencies and blockchain has submitted its report to the Finance Ministry and recommended that private cryptocurrencies be banned completely in India.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21008-cryptocurrency-panel-report
#FinanceMinistry #Cryptocurrencypanelreport #panelreport #Cryptocurrencypanel

The Code on Wages Bill 2019
The Government introduced The Code on Wages Bill, 2019 in Lok Sabha to amend and consolidate the laws relating to wages and bonus and matters connected therewith.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21007-the-code-on-wages-bill-2019
#WagesBill #TheCode #EqualRemunerationAct #ScheduledEmployments

The Code on Occupational Safety Bill 2019
The Government introduced The Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Bill, 2019 in Lok Sabha to amend the laws regulating the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions of the persons employed in an establishment.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21006-the-code-on-occupational-safety-bill-2019
#TheCode #OccupationalSafetyBill #TradeUnions #OccupationalSafety

Companies (Amendment) Bill passed
Lok Sabha on 26 July 2019 gave its nod to the Companies (Amendment) Bill which seeks to tighten corporate social responsibility compliance and reduce the load of cases on the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21041-companies-amendment-bill-passed
#Amendment #Bill #NCLT #LokSabha #criminal #NirmalaSitharaman

Chandrayaan-2 raises orbit
Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft moved into a higher orbit around the earth, by performing its second orbit-raising manoeuvre in the early hours of 26 July 2019.
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21040-chandrayaan-2-raises-orbit
#Chandrayaan2 #orbit #GSLV #spacecraft #Earth #ISRO

28 new stars in Milky Way
Scientists at the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in Nainital have discovered 28 new variable stars in the Milky Way galaxy. ARIES Director Wahab Uddin described the finding of the new variable stars, whose luminosity or brightness keeps changing, as a "rare achievement".
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21039-28-new-stars-in-milky-way
#MilkyWay #stars #ARIES #DOT #NGC #SnehLata #NGC4147

Code on IR Bill approved
The Centre approved the Code on Industrial Relations (IR) Bill, 2019 — considered to be the most contentious labour law amendments. The central government has withdrawn its proposal to give flexibility to big companies, in terms of manpower, to retrench or lay off workers and shut shop without seeking official consent, a government official said, requesting anonymity.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22065-code-on-ir-bill-approved.html
#IR #Bill #UttarPradesh #IndustrialRelationsBill #DignityofLabour #amendment

Unified regulator for IFSC
The government will set up a unified regulator for International Financial Services Centres. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet. The International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019 will be introduced in the Lok Sabha after withdrawal from the Rajya Sabha.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22064-unified-regulator-for-ifsc.html
#Unified #IFSC #CCEA #Irdai #RajyaSabha #IFSCAB

National Institute for Sowa-Rigpa
The Union Cabinet approved setting up of the National Institute for Sowa-Rigpa in Leh as an autonomous organization. Sowa-Rigpa is a traditional Tibetan system of medicine practised in the Himalayan belt of India.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22063-national-institute-for-sowa-rigpa.html
#NationalInstitute #SowaRigpa #NISR #AYUSH #NarendraModi #UnionCabinet

TOT model for national highways
The government approved amendments proposed to the toll-operate-transfer (TOT) model for national highways. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given its approval to the amendments proposed in the TOT model by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22062-tot-model-for-national-highways.html
#TOT #CCEA #COD #NHAI #EPC #BOT #NirmalaSitharaman

Singapore to use ITR at Chandipur
The armed forces of Singapore, which already use Indian military facilities for training of their mechanized forces, artillery and F-16 fighter jets, will soon also begin to use the integrated test range (ITR) for firing of missiles at Chandipur in Odisha as well.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22061-singapore-to-use-itr-at-chandipur.html
#ITR #Chandipur #RajnathSingh #Singapore #SITMEX

India is seventh-most affected by terror
India is at seventh place in a global think tank’s list of countries most affected by terrorism. The annual report by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace states that the country most affected by terrorism in 2018 was Afghanistan (7,379 killed), displacing Iraq (1,054 killed) as the deadliest country.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22060-india-is-seventh-most-affected-by-terror.html
#India #Iraq #Afghanistan #JeM #GTI #TerrorFactfile

Sri Lanka’s new prime minister
Sri Lanka’s former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa on 21 November 2019 took oath as the new prime minister of the island nation after incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe formally stepped down from his post.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22059-sri-lanka-s-new-prime-minister.html
#SriLanka #MahindaRajapaksa #PGR #LTTE #illegal

International children's peace prize
The Hague: Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg was awarded an international children's peace prize on 20 November 2019, for her work in the struggle against climate change which has resonated with schoolchildren across the world.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22058-international-children-s-peace-prize.html
#Internationalchildren #DivinaMaloum #PeacePrize #DKR

DefExpo 2020 inaugurated
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 February 2020 inaugurated the DefExpo, India's biennial military exhibition, which seeks to showcase the potential of the country to become a global defence manufacturing hub.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22784-defexpo-2020-inaugurated.html
#DefExpo2020 #NarendraModi #Goa #manufacturing #military


IIITs Laws (Amendment) Bill 2020
The Union Cabinet on 5 February 2020 gave its approval to confer the status of Institution of National Importance (INI) to five Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs).
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22783-iiits-laws-amendment-bill-2020.html
#IIITsLaws #Amendment #MTech #INI #NarendraModi

Proposal to allow 100% FDI in Air India
The government is working on a proposal to allow 100 per cent foreign direct investment in Air India as it moves ahead with disinvestment of the national carrier.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22782-proposal-to-allow-100-fdi-in-air-india.html
#FDI #AirIndia #NRIs #SOEC #PIM #DPIIT


Bill to amend Aircraft Act introduced
The government on 4 February 2020 introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to amend the Aircraft Act wherein the fine amount for violations will be hiked from Rs 10 lakh to up to Rs 1 crore.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22781-bill-to-amend-aircraft-act-introduced.html
#Bill #AircraftAct #ICAO #BCAS #DGCA #LokSabha


U.N. takes no action against Myanmar
The U.N. Security Council on 4 February 2020 discussed the International Court of Justice’s order that Myanmar must do all it can to prevent genocide against the Rohingya Muslims, but failed to agree on a statement.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22780-u-n-takes-no-action-against-myanmar.html
#Myanmar #UNSecurityCouncil #Belgium #RohingyaMuslims


EU rejects Middle East peace plan
The European Union rejected parts of the new U.S. peace plan for the Middle East on 4 February 2020, saying the plan broke with "internationally agreed parameters", and any Israeli annexation of Palestinian land would be subject to challenge.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22779-eu-rejects-middle-east-peace-plan.html
#EUrejects #MiddleEast #peaceplan #DonaldTrumps # Palestinianland

Space policy Bill in final stage
The space policy and the Space Activities Bill are in the final stages, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan said, days after the government opened up the space sector for private players.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/24230-space-policy-bill-in-final-stage.html
#SpacepolicyBill #ISRO #ChairmanKSivan #Bill #policyBill

Bill to amend Factoring Regulation Act
Lok Sabha on 20 September 2020 passed a bill to amend the Factoring Regulation Act that seeks to help micro, small and medium enterprises by providing additional avenues for getting credit facility.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/25878-bill-to-amend-factoring-regulation-act.html
#Bill #FactoringRegulationAct #LokSabha #UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

KSG Podcast - What is a cryptocurrency | Short Crisp Concise and Exam Oriented Edited Editorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urAzBddJwBk&list=PLCUwtp5IghZmJBi1h7xiAhsORKmmumVsR&index=12
#UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

KSG Podcast - What is a cryptocurrency | Short Crisp Concise and Exam Oriented Edited Editorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urAzBddJwBk&list=PLCUwtp5IghZmJBi1h7xiAhsORKmmumVsR&index=27
#UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

KSG Podcast - What is a cryptocurrency | Short Crisp Concise and Exam Oriented Edited Editorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urAzBddJwBk&list=PLCUwtp5IghZmJBi1h7xiAhsORKmmumVsR&index=49
#UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

Today's Headlines - 26 July 2023
Centre withdraws DNA Bill
GS Paper - 3 (Biotechnology)

The Union government withdrew the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019, from the Lok Sabha. First proposed in 2003, the Bill has gone through numerous changes, led by both the Department of Biotechnology and the Law Ministry, over the years. In 2019, it was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee after being introduced in the Lok Sabha. Two years later, the panel’s report was released, in which it highlighted the fears of a number of MPs, saying the Bill could be misused to target segments of society based on religion, caste or political views.

What is the Bill?

The Bill seeks to create a regulatory framework for obtaining, storing and testing DNA samples of human beings, mainly for the purposes of criminal investigations, and with the objective of establishing the identity of a person.
DNA testing is already being used for a variety of purposes, such as criminal investigations, establishment of parentage, and search for missing people.
The proposed law seeks to bring in a supervisory structure to oversee these practices, and frame guidelines and rules so that the DNA technology is not misused.
To achieve these objectives, the Bill proposes to set up two institutional structures — a DNA regulatory board and a DNA data bank — at the national level. Regional centres of the board as well as the data bank can be set up at the state level too.
The board, which is proposed to be the main regulatory authority, would frame the rules and guidelines for DNA collection, testing and storage, while the data bank would be the repository of all DNA samples collected from various people under specified rules.
The Bill proposes that testing of DNA samples can be carried out only at laboratories that are authorised to do so by the regulatory board.
It also specifies the circumstances under which a person can be asked to submit DNA samples, the purposes for which such requests can be made, and the exact procedure for handling, storing and accessing these samples.

What are the objections against the Bill?

The main debate over the proposed law has been around three issues — whether DNA technology is foolproof, whether the provisions adequately address the possibility of abuse of DNA information, and whether the privacy of the individual is protected.
DNA information can be extremely revelatory. It can not only establish a person’s identity but also reveal a lot about physical and biological attributes of the person like eye, hair or skin colour, susceptibility to diseases, possible medical history, and possible clues to biological relatives.
For years, critics of the Bill have been claiming that collecting and storing such intrusive information could lead to abuse, besides being violative of a person’s privacy.

What has the government said?

The government has defended the Bill by arguing that nearly 60 countries have enacted similar legislation and that all important matters related to privacy, confidentiality and data protection have been taken into account.
It has also claimed that very limited information is proposed to be stored in the indices — just 17 sets of numbers out of billions that DNA samples can reveal. These can tell nothing about the individual and only act as a unique identifier.

#upsc #news #DNAbill #withdraws #technology #Department #biotechnology #lawministry #parliamentary #loksabha #criminal #parliamentary #committee #bill #government #violative #privacy #attributes

Today's Headlines - 26 July 2023
Parliamentary panel's nod for inter-services organisations bill
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)

As India gets set to create unified theatre commands for integrated war-fighting machinery in a cost-effective manner, a parliamentary panel has approved the proposed law to empower military commanders of all tri-service organisations with full administrative and disciplinary powers. Agreeing with the provisions of The Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control & Discipline) Bill, 2023, which was introduced in Lok Sabha on 15 March, the parliamentary standing committee on defence recommended the bill be passed “without any amendments” and enacted as a statute.

More about the Bill

The enactment of the bill will herald greater integration and jointmanship in inter-services organisations (ISOs) and establishments, the committee said.
India was once again resolutely working towards the creation of integrated theatre commands (ITCs) – which stalled after the first chief of defence staff Gen Bipin Rawat’s death in a helicopter crash in December 2021 -- after achieving a “consensus” among the Army, Navy and IAF.
This most radical military reorganization since Independence will see two “adversary-specific” ITCs -- one for the northern borders with China at Lucknow and the other for the western front with Pakistan at Jaipur.
Then there will be the Maritime Theatre Command (MTC) at Karwar in coastal Karnataka for the Indian Ocean Region as well as the larger Indo-Pacific.

Why this legislation?

The proposed legislation will ensure the requisite command and control of the existing ISOs such as the regional Andaman Nicobar Command and the functional Strategic Forces Command as well as the impending ITCs.
The new law will “empower” the government to constitute ISOs as well the commander-in-chief of an ISO to maintain discipline and ensure proper discharge of duties of all the personnel from the Army, Navy and IAF serving under his command.
At present, military personnel are governed by different acts and rules of their own respective services. These are the Army Act, 1950, the Air Force Act, 1950, and the Navy Act, 1957.
Consequently, personnel serving in ISOs currently have to be sent back to their parent service for disciplinary or administrative action.
Once the theatre commands are in place, they will take over the “operational role” of the single-service commands under them.

Flashback

At present, India has as many as 17 single-service commands (Army 7, IAF 7 and Navy 3), which have very little synergy in planning, logistics and operations.
China, in contrast, re-organised its 2.3-million People’s Liberation Army into five theatre commands in early-2016 to boost offensive capabilities and establish better command-and-control structures.
Its Western Theatre Command, for instance, handles the entire 3,488-km Line of Actual Control from eastern Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. India, in contrast, has four Army and three IAF commands for the northern borders with China.

#upsc #news #parliamentary #panel #todayheadline #interservices #organisations #polity #bill #MTC #legislation #indian #ocean #region #indopacific #andaman #nicobar #command #strategic #empower #airforce #army #act1950

Today's Headlines - 28 July 2023
The Biodiversity Act approved for amendment
GS Paper - 3 (Environment)

Lok Sabha gave its approval to a Bill to amend some provisions of the Biological Diversity Act of 2002. The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill seeks to address concerns of several central ministries, state governments, researchers, industry, and other stakeholders, regarding the implementation of the 20-year-old law that is meant to preserve the country’s biological diversity and to ensure its sustainable use.

What is the biodiversity law, and why does India need one?

Biological diversity refers to all kinds of life forms — animals, plants and microorganisms — their gene pools, and the ecosystems that they inhabit.
The 2002 Act was a response to the global need to protect and conserve biological resources, which are under threat due to human activities.
The extent of the damage was highlighted, much later, in a landmark 2019 report by the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), a scientific body similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
That report issued a stark warning: about 1 million animal and plant species, out of a total of about 8 million, were facing the threat of extinction.
About 75 per cent of the Earth’s land surface and 66 per cent of the oceans had been “significantly altered”, it said.
But efforts to protect biological diversity had begun much earlier. In 1994, countries including India had agreed to a Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), an international framework agreement similar to the more famous one on climate change.
There was a general agreement on three things: (i) that indiscriminate use of biological resources needed to be halted, (ii) that sustainable use of these resources, for their medicinal properties for example, needed to be regulated, and (iii) that people and communities helping in protecting and maintaining these resources needed to be rewarded for their efforts.
India’s Biological Diversity Act of 2002 was enacted by the government of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with these objectives in mind.
It set up a National Biodiversity Authority as a regulatory body, and prescribed the conditions in, and purposes for, which biological resources could be utilised. The purposes are mainly related to scientific research and commercial use.
What amendments have been proposed in the biodiversity law?

The Bill passed makes several amendments to the 2002 Act, addressing most of the concerns raised by the practitioners of traditional systems of medicine, the seed sector, and the pharmaceutical industry.
Certain categories of users of biological resources, like practitioners of Indian systems of medicine, have been exempted from making payments towards the access and benefit-sharing mechanism.
Companies registered in India and controlled by Indians are now treated as Indian companies, even if they have foreign equity or partnership, thereby reducing the restrictions on them.
Provisions have been included to speed up the approval process in cases of use of biological resources in scientific research, or for filing of patent applications. The penalty provisions for wrongdoing by user agencies have been rationalised.

#upsc #news #todayheadline #biodiversity #amendment #enviroment #bill #microorganisms #ecosystem #intergovernmental #IPBES #IPCC #extinction #CBD #national #authority #traditional #medicine #rationalised

Today's Headlines - 29 July 2023
Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023 passed
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)

Rajya Sabha passed the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which cracks down on film piracy along with changing how movies are certified by the censor board. The Bill lays down a three-year jail term and a fine of up to 5% of a movie’s production cost for those making its pirated copies.

More about the amended Bill

It introduces three certifications under the ‘UA’ category, UA 7+, UA 13+ and UA 16+, which means that children younger than the given age limits can access such movies with parental guidance.
It also empowers the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to give separate certificates for a film’s exhibition on television or other media.
As the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 stipulates that only UA category films can be shown on TV, the Bill allows for a change of category of a film from A (adult) or S (specialised groups) to UA, after making suitable alterations.
While the earlier Act provided that the certificate issued by the CBFC is valid for 10 years, it would now be valid perpetually.
The new Bill clarifies that the Centre will not have any revisional powers over CBFC certificates.
Recording or helping a person record any film that is being exhibited at a cinema theatre using audio-visual devices has been prohibited under the Bill. The film industry is facing a loss of Rs 20,000 crore annually because of piracy.
While inserting new clauses for piracy, the Bill aims to harmonise the Cinematograph Act with the existing laws that tangentially address piracy — the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Information Technology Act (IT) 2000.

The background

The Cinematograph Act, 1952 needed to be amended due to several reasons — to harmonise the law with various executive orders, Supreme Court judgements, and other legislations; to improve the procedure for licensing films for public exhibition by the CBFC; and to expand the scope of categorisations for certification.
Lastly and importantly, there was a huge demand from the film industry to address the issue of unauthorised recording and exhibition of films and curb the menace of piracy, which is causing them huge losses.
The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 12 February 2019, proposing changes related only to film piracy.
This Bill was referred to the Standing Committee on Information Technology, which presented its report in March 2020.
The recommendations by the panel included age-based categories of certification and the removal of redundant provisions. So, the revised Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was released on 18 June 2021, seeking public comments.
In 2022, consultations with industry stakeholders were held based on which the Ministry introduced the 2023 Bill.
Interestingly, with the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, all special provisions in central laws related to the erstwhile state have become redundant. Thus, the special reference to J&K in the Act has been omitted in the 2023 Bill.

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Today's Headlines - 29 July 2023
Jan Vishwas Bill passed
GS Paper - 3 (Economy)

The Lok Sabha on 27 July 2023 approved the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023, to enhance ease of doing business, decrease compliance burden for individuals and industry, and alleviate judicial load by decriminalising minor economic offences.

More about the Bill

Spearheaded by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the Bill proposes to revise 183 provisions across 42 laws under 19 government ministries.
At present, existing laws contain clauses for imprisonment for minor and procedural defaults, as well as lesser fines and penalties.
This resulted in fear and mistrust towards the government. The intended changes of this proposed law aim to avoid unnecessary imprisonments and impose higher penalties and fines where necessary.
According to the Bill, offences will be decriminalised by either eliminating both imprisonment and/or fine; removing imprisonment while retaining or increasing fines; or changing imprisonment and/or fine to penalties.
Conversion of fines and penalties implies that court prosecution can be bypassed for punishment.
The government over the past nine years removed roughly 40,000 provisions and procedures, which had the potential to create problems for people.

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Today's Headlines - 01 August 2023
Lok Sabha passes MMDR Amendment bill
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023 was taken up for consideration and passed by the Lok Sabha. This bill proposes to empower the Central government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite licence for 26 critical minerals in the country.

More about the Amendment

This amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, “would facilitate, encourage and incentivise private sector participation in all spheres of mineral exploration for critical and deep-seated minerals”. Under the existing framework, state governments auction mining blocks.
Even in case of conduct of auction by the central government, the mineral concession shall be granted to the selected bidders by the state government only and the auction premium and other statutory payments shall accrue to the state government.
According to the statement of objects and reasons for the bill, it would help hasten the pace of auction and early production of critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and graphite that are crucial for electric vehicles and batteries.
Nickel, platinum, and tin-bearing minerals are also among the 26 that are proposed to be brought under the ambit of the central government.
This would be the Fifth Amendment to the MMDR Act since 2014. Earlier changes included mandating e-auction for mineral resources, and allowing extension of mining leases which were expiring.

#upsc #news #loksabha #MMDR #amendnent #bill #polity #mines #minerals #development #central #goverment #critical #goverments #statutory #exploration #lithium #cobalt #grapite #nickel #platinum #resources #leases #private #sector

Today's Headlines - 02 August 2023
Birth certificate as single document
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)

The Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1969 is likely to be amended for the first time in 54 years of its existence, with the Union Government introducing a Bill in Lok Sabha that allows the use of a birth certificate as a single document for admission in schools and colleges, issuance of driving licence and appointment to a government job.

More about the Bill

The proposed amendments also allow the use of a birth certificate for preparation of voter list, issuance of Aadhaar number and registration of marriage even as critics earlier opposed the government plans citing privacy concerns, infringing states’ rights and claiming that it gives unbridled data about people to the government.
The amendments are needed to keep pace with societal change and technological advancements and to make it more citizen friendly. Consultations were held with state governments, public and other stakeholders.
According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill, the amendments provides for the use of the birth certificate as a single document to prove the date and place of birth of a person born on or after the date of commencement of the amendments for a variety of things.
The database of births and deaths will be made available to authorities dealing with population register, electoral rolls, Aadhaar number, ration card, passport, driving licence, property registration and other databases notified by the union government.
The Bill also provides for facilitating registration process of adopted, orphan, abandoned, surrendered, surrogate child and child to a single parent or unwed mother, to make it mandatory for all medical institutions to provide a certificate as to the cause of death to the registrar and a copy of the same to the nearest relative.
Special "sub-registrars" can be appointed in the event of disaster or epidemic for speedy registration of deaths and issue of certificates, to collect Aadhaar numbers of parents and informants, if available, in case of birth registration.
The bill will also ensure addressing the grievances of the general public aggrieved by any action or order of the registrar or district registrar and to enhance the penalties provided in the Act.

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Today's Headlines - 05 August 2023
Govt’s Bill on IIMs over their autonomy
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)

The government has brought a Bill in Parliament giving itself significant say in the appointment and removal of Directors of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), and in initiating inquiries. The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, introduced in Lok Sabha, seeks to make changes in the law that governs the administration and running of IIMs. The proposed changes have triggered concern over their potential to erode the autonomy of the IIMs.

What is the purpose of the Bill?

The Bill seeks to amend the Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017 which declared 20 existing IIMs as “institutions of national importance with a view to empower these institutions to attain standards of global excellence in management, management research and allied areas of knowledge.
Under the 2017 Act, the Director of an IIM is appointed by a Board of Governors, and the government has a limited say in the process.
The proposed amendments essentially seek to alter this situation, and to give the government an expanded role in the appointment of the IIM Director.

How is this change proposed to be effected?

Section 5 of the amendment Bill says that “After section 10 of the principal Act, the following section shall be inserted, namely— ’10A. (1) The President of India shall be the Visitor of every Institute’” covered under the IIM Act.
The Bill prescribes three primary roles for the Visitor: to make appointments, to audit the working of institutions, and to conduct an inquiry.

What is the current process of appointment of the Director?

Section 16(2) of the 2017 Act says “the Director shall be appointed by the Board, on such terms and conditions of service as may be prescribed.”
Section 16(1) says the “Director shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute and shall provide leadership to the Institute and be responsible for implementation of the decisions of the Board”.
Section 16(3) says “the Director shall be appointed out of the panel of names recommended by a search-cum-selection committee to be constituted by the Board”.
The Board chairperson will head the search-cum-selection committee, which will also have “three members chosen from amongst eminent administrators, industrialists, educationists, scientists, technocrats and management specialists”.

#upsc #news #headline #govtbill #autonomy #polity #parliament #institutes #management #IIMS #loksabha #purpose #bill #global #governors #section16 #chief #executive #officer #panel #eminent #administrators #educationists #scientists #technocrats

Today's Headlines - 07 August 2023
Offshore mining and mineral auctions
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)

In a significant step toward exploiting India's offshore resources, the Council of States passed the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill (OAMDR), 2023. The Bill represents a transformative change for the offshore mining sector, which has remained largely inactive since the enactment of the OAMDR Act in 2002.

More about the Bill

It aims to increase transparency in the allocation of minerals found in the country's offshore basins, permitting the granting of production leases exclusively through auctions and reserving some allocations for government entities and public sector units (PSUs).
The passage of the Bill marks a historic milestone, unlocking India's vast mineral-rich offshore areas.
This move promises strategic benefits, strengthening the nation's territorial waters, which have been frequently threatened by neighboring countries.
The extraction of minerals from these areas is expected to bolster India's strategic position further.

Auctions as primary means

The Bill stipulates a fixed 50-year production lease for offshore minerals. Under this new legislation, the government plans to introduce auctions as the primary means to award production leases for offshore minerals.
The amendment enables the granting of production leases to the private sector solely through competitive bidding auctions.
Under the composite licensing system, explorers will also have the right to develop and mine minerals under a single license.
The Bill introduces a four-year timeline for the start of production and dispatch following the execution of a composite license or production lease.
It also establishes a two-year timeline (extendable by one year) for the resumption of production and dispatch after a discontinuation.

#upsc #news #headline #offshore #mineral #polity #resources #development #regulation #OAMDR #bill #PSU #india #strategic #water #nations #territorial #award #production #lease #legislation #singlelicense #compositelicensing #historic #milestone #amendment

Today's Headlines - 08 August 2023
Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 cleared
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)

The Lok Sabha on 7 August 2023 passed the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, a first-ever legislation dedicated for digital privacy amid concerns of MPs regarding the removal of the data localisation mandate and increased government control.

More about the Bill

The Bill was passed with an amendment to a minor drafting error. Once the Bill comes into effect, all digital platforms will be required to obtain unconditional, free, specific, and informed consent from users for processing their data.
They will also need to issue a notice explaining the purpose of data processing and the rights of the users.
The government will appoint a data protection board, an independent body that will examine personal data breaches and impose penalties.
The latest version of the Bill does not mandate local storage of personal data, providing a major relief to big tech firms like Google, Meta, and Amazon.
The government may, however, notify a list of countries in future, where data cannot be transferred.
The Bill prescribes penalties of up to Rs 250 crore for each instance of a data breach arising from a lack of reasonable safeguards on platforms.
The government may block the operations of entities not complying with the law even after two instances of penalties. The draft Bill of the final version was released for public consultation in November 2022.
Models for data protection laws

The EU model:

The GDPR focuses on a comprehensive data protection law for the processing of personal data.
It has been criticised for being excessively stringent, and imposing many obligations on organisations processing data, but is the template for most of the legislation drafted around the world.
In the EU, the right to privacy is enshrined as a fundamental right that seeks to protect an individual’s dignity and her right over the data that she generates.

The US model:

Privacy protection is largely defined as a “liberty protection” — focused on the protection of the individual’s personal space from the government, and, therefore, is viewed as being somewhat narrow in focus by virtue of enabling the collection of personal information as long as the individual is informed of such collection and use. The US template has been viewed as inadequate in key respects of regulation.
Unlike the EU’s GDPR, there is no comprehensive set of privacy rights or principles that collectively address the use, collection and disclosure of data in the US. Instead, there is limited sector-specific regulation. The approach towards data protection in the US is different for the public and private sectors.

The China model:

New Chinese laws issued over the last 15 months on data privacy and security includes the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), which came into effect in November 2021. It gives Chinese data principal’s new rights as it seeks to prevent the misuse of personal data.
The Data Security Law (DSL), which came into force in September 2021, requires business data to be categorised by different levels of importance and puts new restrictions on cross-border transfers.
These regulations will have a significant impact on how companies collect, store, use and transfer data, but are essentially focused on giving the government overreaching powers to both collect data and regulate private companies that collect and process information.

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