Daily CURRENT AFFAIRS

NEWS

The J&K Delimitation Commission, which was constituted on March 6, 2020, not long after Jammu & Kashmir’s special Constitutional position was ended in August 2019, is likely to get a second extension of its term

WHAT IS DELIMITATION - Process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a state that has a legislative body.

WHY DELIMITATION - The objective is to redraw boundaries (based on the data of the last Census) in a way so that the population of all seats, as far as practicable, be the same throughout the State.

WHO CARRIES OUT THE EXERCISE -

• Undertaken by a highly powerful commission formally known as Delimitation Commission or Boundary Commission.
• Its orders have the force of law and they cannot be challenged before any court.

COMPOSITION OF THE COMMISSION:

According to the Delimitation Commission Act, 2002, the Delimitation Commission will have three members:

• a serving or retired judge of the Supreme Court as the chairperson
• Chief Election Commissioner or Election Commissioner nominated by the CEC
• State Election Commissioner as ex-officio members.

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS:

• Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census.
• Under Article 170, States also get divided into territorial constituencies as per Delimitation Act after every Census.

DELIMITATION IN J&K

• Assembly seats in J&K were delimited in 1963, 1973 and 1995.
• Prior to August 5, 2019, carving out of J&K’s Assembly seats was carried out under the J&K Constitution and Jammu and Kashmir Representation of the People Act, 1957.
• Until then, the delimitation of Lok Sabha seats in J&K was governed by the Constitution of India.
• However, the delimitation of the state’s Assembly was governed by the J&K Constitution and J&K Representation of the People Act, 1957.
• There was no census in the state in 1991 and hence no Delimitation Commission was set up by the state until 2001 census.
• On March 6, 2020, the government set up the Delimitation Commission, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, which was tasked with winding up delimitation in J&K in a year.
• As per the J&K Reorganization Bill, the number of Assembly seats in J&K would increase from 107 to 114, which is expected to benefit the Jammu region.

NEWS

Motion of thanks to President’s Address is put to discussion in Rajya sabha

WHAT IS MOTION OF THANKS -

• The President makes an address to a joint sitting of Parliament at the start of the Budget session, which is prepared by the government and lists its achievements.
• The address is followed by a motion of thanks moved in each House by ruling party MPs.
• During the session, political parties discuss the motion of thanks also suggesting amendments.

CAN IT BE AMENDED

• Notices of amendments to Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address can be tabled after the President has delivered his Address.
• Amendments may refer to matters contained in the Address as well as to matters, in the opinion of the member, the Address has failed to mention.
• Amendments can be moved to the Motion of Thanks in such form as may be considered appropriate by the Speaker.

LIMITATIONS

• Members cannot refer to matters which are not the direct responsibility of the Central Government
• Name of the President cannot be brought in during the debate since the Government and not the President is responsible for the contents of the Address.

GOVERNING PROVISIONS

President’s Address and Motion of Thanks are governed by Articles 86 (1) and 87 (1) of the Constitution and Rules 16 to 24 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.

PASSAGE

• Members of Parliament vote on this motion of thanks. This motion must be passed in both of the houses.
• A failure to get motion of thanks passed amounts to defeat of government and leads to collapse of government. This is why the Motion of Thanks is deemed to be a no-confidence motion.

 

NEWS

Chhattisgarh becomes 35th State/UT to implement One Nation One Ration Card

ABOUT

WHEN WAS IT LAUNCHED - August, 2019

AIM – Enabling migrant workers and their family members to buy subsidised ration from any fair price shop anywhere in the country under the National Food Security Act, 2013.

HOW DOES IT WORK

• Based on technology that involves details of beneficiaries’ ration card, Aadhaar number, and electronic Points of Sale (ePoS).
• The system identifies a beneficiary through biometric authentication on ePos devices at fair price shops.
• The system runs with the support of two portals —Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS) and Annavitran, which host all the relevant data.

NEWS

The Export Import Bank (EXIM) of India and the Government of Sri Lanka on Wednesday signed a $500- million Line of Credit agreement aimed at helping Sri Lanka cope with its fuel shortages, amid one of the worst economic meltdowns facing the island nation.

 ABOUT EXIM BANK

• Wholly owned Govt. of India entity
• Established in 1982
• HQ : New Delhi
• Aim : financing, facilitating and promoting foreign trade of India.
• Extends Line of Credit (loC) to overseas financial institutions, regional development banks, sovereign governments and other entities abroad.
• Enables buyers in those countries to import developmental and infrastructure, equipment’s, goods and services from India on deferred credit terms.
• Facilitates investment by Indian companies abroad for setting up joint ventures, subsidiaries or overseas acquisitions

NEWS

Fitch Ratings said that beyond the higher capex drive, the Budget was short on major reform plans and the fiscal deficit target for 2022-23 at 6.4% of the GDP, was higher than the 6.1% it had anticipated

FISCAL DEFECIT

WHAT

• Difference between the government’s total expenditure and its total receipts (excluding borrowing)
• Indicator of how well the government is managing its finances.(A recurring high fiscal deficit implies that the government has been spending beyond its means)
• Expressed as a percentage of GDP.

WHEN IT OCCURS

• Occurs when this expenditure exceeds the revenue generated.
• Happens because of events like a major increase in capital expenditure or due to revenue deficit.

WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS

• Income: the total income generated by the government can be divided into:
  • Tax revenue: GST, customs duties, corporate tax, etc.
  • Non-tax revenue: dividends and profits, interest receipts, etc.
• Expenditure: this includes capital expenditure, revenue expenditure, grants for capital assets creation, interest payments, etc.

FORMULA

Fiscal Deficit = Total Expenditure (Revenue Expenditure + Capital Expenditure) – (Revenue Receipts + Recoveries of Loans + Other Capital Receipts (all Revenue and Capital Receipts except loans taken))

NEWS

Homestays would soon be allowed in the villages around Sultanpur National Park in Gurugram to promote tourism and provide an opportunity to the visitors to catch a glimpse of rural life in Haryana.

ABOUT SULTANPUR NATIONAL PARK

 WHERE - Gurgaon district of Haryana

THE PLACE IS FAMOUS FOR

• Famous for its migratory as well as resident birds.
• Migratory birds start arriving in the park in September. Birds use the park as a resting place till the following March-April.
• During summer and monsoon months the park is inhabited by many local bird species.
• Mammals: Blackbuck, Nilgai, Hog deer, Sambar, Leopard etc.
• Birds: Siberian Cranes, Greater Flamingo, Demoiselle Crane etc.

NOTE –

• In April 1971, the Sultanpur Jheel inside the park (an area of 1.21 sq. Km.) was accorded Sanctuary status under section 8 of the Punjab Wildlife Preservation Act of 1959.
• The status of the park was upgraded to National Park under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 in July 1991.

NEWS

The Kerala government announced the country’s first Graphene Innovation Centre

DETAILS

• Where - Thrissur
• A joint venture of Digital University of Kerala, Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET) and Tata Steel Limited
• Why - Give a major fillip for scientific research as well as the state’s industrial sector.

ABOUT GRAPHENE

• WHAT - One-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice.
• Building-block of Graphite
• Remarkable substance with a multitude of astonishing properties
• Thinnest, most electrically and thermally conductive material in the world, while also being flexible, transparent and incredibly strong
• Also known as a wonder material due to its vast potential in the energy and medical world.

NEWS

PM presents Chadar to be offered at Ajmer Sharif Dargah on the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti

DETAILS

WHAT IS URS - Annual festival held at Ajmer in Rajasthan which commemorates the death anniversary of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti.

ABOUT KHWAJA MOINUDDIN CHISTI

• Born in Sijistan (modern-day Sistan) in Iran in 1141-42 CE.
• After Second Battle of Tarain (1192) and established his rule in Delhi, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti started living and preaching in Ajmer.
• Instructive discourses, full of spiritual insights, soon drew the local populace as well as kings and nobles and peasants and the poor from far and wide.
• Shrine in Ajmer has been visited by rulers like Muhammad bin Tughlaq, Sher Shah Suri, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, Dara Shukoh and Aurangzeb.

CHISHTI ORDER (CHISHTIYA):

• Founded in India by Khwaja Moin-Uddin Chishti.
• Emphasised the doctrine of the unity of being with God (waḥdat al-wujūd) and members of the order were also pacifists.
• Rejected all material goods as distractions from the contemplation of God.
• Abstained from connection with the secular state.
• Recitation of the names of God, both aloud and silently (dhikr jahrī, dhikr khafī), formed the cornerstone of Chishtī practice.
• Teachings were carried forward and popularized by disciples of Khwaja Moin-Uddin Chishti like Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, Fareeduddin Ganj-e-Shakar, Nizam uddin Auliya and Naseeruddin Charagh.

• Dr. Madan Mohan Tripathi has joined as Director General of National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT)