Daily CURRENT AFFAIRS

Daily Current Affair - UPSC/KAS Exams - 24th Nov 2021

NEWS

The Karnataka Agricultural Price Commission (KAPC) has recommended to the State Government to seek permission from the Centre for increasing the procurement of quantity of foodgrains under the MSP for distribution at subsidised prices under the public distribution system (PDS).

MAHITI FOR PRELIMS

PDS

• System of management for food and distribution of food grains
• Comprises a string of shops eligible to distribute basic food and non-food commodities to those people coming under the poverty line at very low prices.
• Central and state governments are deemed to regulate the Public distribution system
• Central government is liable for procurement, preservation, transportation, and bulk allocation of food grains
• State governments
  • hold the liability of distributing the food to the people, by the way, established system of Fair Price Shops.
  • liable for operational responsibilities comprising an identification of families coming under the poverty line, allocation of ration cards, management and monitoring the functioning of the FPSs system (PDS) is an Indian food security system

NEWS

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a scheme of the then ruling AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu granting a waiver of outstanding crop loans, medium-term (agriculture) loans, and long-term (farm sector) loans issued to small and marginal farmers.

ABOUT THE SCHEME

• Issued in May 2016
• Granting a waiver of outstanding crop loans, medium-term (agriculture) loans, and long-term (farm sector) loans issued to small and marginal farmers.
• ‘Small farmer’ - farmer who holds land of 2.5 acres to 5 acres
• ‘Marginal farmer’ - farmer who holds land up to 2.5 acres.

ISSUE

• The state government has raised a preliminary contention that the Court cannot review the scheme since it is a fiscal policy decision of the State.
• The Madras HC bench -  judicially evolved two-pronged test to determine the validity of the law vis-a-vis Article 14 of the Constitution refers to the objective of the law because the ‘policy’ behind the law is never completely insulated from judicial attention.
• State government - Court cannot interfere with the soundness and wisdom of a policy. A policy is subject to judicial review on the limited grounds of compliance with the fundamental rights and other provisions of the Constitution​

SC VIEW

• The implementation of every policy of the State involves expenditure. Merely because the policy involves the expenditure of funds, it cannot be termed as an economic policy. The core feature of the policy and the targeted area needs to be determined to identify the nature of the policy
• Impugned loan waiver scheme is, in essence, a social policy in pursuance of the Directive Principles of State Policy, introduced with an object to eliminate inequality in status, income, and facilities.

NEWS

Andhra Assembly withdraws resolution to abolish Legislative Council. Government had passed the statutory resolution in January 2020 under Article 169(1) of the Constitution

ABOUT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

• Upper house in those states of India that have a bicameral state legislature
• 6 states have a State Legislative Council. These are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh The latest state to have a council is Telangana.
• Functions
  • To represent the people
  • To legislate and to scrutinise the executive government as a ‘House of review’.
• Provides an alternative and complementary system of representation to that of the Legislative Assembly.
• According to Article 169, the Parliament can create or abolish the SLC of a state if that state’s legislature passes a resolution for that with a special majority.

NEWS

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved deal for the manufacture of 6.71 lakh AK-203 assault rifles in India, according to a defence source.

ABOUT AK-203 ASSAULT RIFLES

• Built in cooperation of Russia
• Considered to be the latest and most advanced version of the AK-47 rifle.
• Expected to replace the Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) 5.56×45 mm assault rifle, that are presently being used by Army, Navy and the Air Force besides other security forces.
• Advanced version of AK-47 and its magazine can hold 30 bullets.

ABOUT DEFENCE ACQUISITION COUNCIL

• Formed after the Group of Ministers recommendations on ‘Reforming the National Security System’, in 2001, post Kargil War (1999).
• Highest decision-making body in the Defence Ministry for deciding on new policies and capital acquisitions for the three services (Army, Navy and Air Force) and the Indian Coast Guard.
• Chairman - The Minister of
• Objective - ensure expeditious procurement of the approved requirements of the Armed Forces in terms of capabilities sought, and time frame prescribed, by optimally utilizing the allocated budgetary resources.

NEWS

Union Home Minister laid the foundation stone for the ‘Rani Gaidinliu Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum’ in Manipur’s Tamenglong district. The museum project was sanctioned by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs

ABOUT

• A spiritual and political leader of the Rongmei tribe
• Born on January 26, 1915 at Luangkao village of Manipur
• Became associated with freedom fighter and religious leader, Haipou Jadonang, who was also a Rongmei, started the ‘Heraka movement’, based on ancestral Naga religion, and envisioned an independent Naga kingdom (or Naga-Raja)
• Her association with Jadonang prepared her to fight the British
• After the execution of Jadonang, she took up the leadership of the movement — which slowly turned political from religious.
• Started a serious revolt against the British and was eventually imprisoned for life. She was released after 14 years, in 1947.
• Acknowledging her role in the struggle against the British, Jawaharlal Nehru called her the “Daughter of the Hills” and gave her the title “Rani” or queen.
• Passed away on February 17, 1993 at her native village Luangkao.
• Bestowed a number of honours including the Tamrapatra in 1972, Padma Bhushan in 1982, Vivekananda Sewa Summan in 1983, and Stree Shakti Puraskar in 1991.
• Posthumously was awarded the Bhagwan Birsa Munda Puraskar in 1996.
• Government of India also issued a commemorative stamp in her honour in the same year.
• The Indian Coast Guard commissioned a Fast Patrol Vessel “ICGS Rani Gaidinliu” in 2016.
• In 2015, the Centre, on her birth anniversary, issued commemorative coins of Rs 100 and a circulation coin of Rs 5 in her honour.

NEWS

India, U.S. commit to linking economies across sectors at recently held Trade Policy Forum meet

DETAILS

• Decided to activate working groups of the Trade Policy Forum (TPF) on agriculture, non-agriculture goods, services, investment, and intellectual property to meet frequently and address issues of mutual concern in a mutually beneficial manner.
• Decided to forge an agreement to facilitate U.S. market access for mangoes, grapes, and pomegranates, pomegranate arils from India, and reciprocate with similar access in the Indian market to cherries, pork/pork products and alfalfa hay for animal feed from the United States.
• Discussions will also be held on enhancing market access for products such as distillers’ dried grains with solubles from the U.S. and resolving market access concerns for water buffalo meat and wild caught shrimp from India.
• The Indian side has sought restoration of the GSP (Generalized System of Preferences) benefits by the U.S. and said this would help industries from both sides in integrating their supply chain efficiently.

MAHITI FOR PRELIMS

Generalized System of Preferences

• U.S. trade program
• Designed to promote economic growth in the developing world
• Provides preferential duty-free entry for up to 4,800 products from 129 designated beneficiary countries and territories.
• Objective
  • Give development support to poor countries by promoting exports from them into the developed countries
  • Promote sustainable development in beneficiary countries by helping these countries to increase and diversify their trade with the United States.
  • Provide opportunities for many of the world’s poorest countries to use trade to grow their economies and climb out of poverty.