Digital tax
Digital tax There is a growing opinion among states that tech giants are exploiting tax rules and there is need to establish a global framework to tax them from where they operate. In January, 137 countries agreed to negotiate a deal on how to tax tech multinationals by 2020-end, under the auspices of the OECD. European countries, in particular, say the so-called GAFA — Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon — are unfairly exploiting tax rules that let them declare profits in low-tax havens, depriving them of a fair share of their fiscal payments. However U.S. slaps the moves as discriminatory against them. Read Vivad se Vishwas scheme Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Contact Us
Implementation of the Code on Wages Act, 2019
Implementation of the Code on Wages Act, 2019 The Union Labour and Employment Ministry published the draft rules framed for the implementation of the Code on Wages Act, 2019, that guarantees minimum wages to all, defines how the wages will be calculated and prescribes a national floor wage for all States. The Code on Wages was the first of the four codes proposed by the government as a part of its labour law reforms that was passed by Parliament in August 2019. It subsumes the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976. According to the draft rules, the basis for calculating the minimum wage would be a standard working class family of one earning worker, a spouse and two children, a net intake of 2,700 calories per day each, 66 metres of cloth per year, rent expenditure equal to 10% of the food and clothing expenditure, fuel, electricity and other miscellaneous expenses of 20% of minimum wage and expenditure on children’s education, medical care, recreation and contingencies amounting to 25% of minimum wage. Read Also Government of India Act of 1919 Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Moplah Rebellion of 1921
Moplah Rebellion of 1921 The centenary of Moplah rebellion is approaching this year and the decision to make a movie on the subject has erupted controversy in Kerala. Moplah rebellion of 1921 happened in Malabar was arguably the greatest challenge to British rule between the great uprising of 1857 and the Quit India movement of 1942. Multiple factors contributed to the character of the movement. These included economic distress, anger against foreign rule and the tenancy laws it instituted, and religious zeal. The immediate trigger for the rebellion was Khalifat and Non-Cooperation movement, but the agrarian distress and landlord system are deep roots of the uprising. The British suppressed the revolt using military and brute force. The associated violence and forced conversion by religious fanatics put the revolt in bad light, which otherwise is an agrarian and nationalistic movement. The wagon tragedy incident is related to the Malabar/ Moplah rebellion of 1921.
Extending postal ballot to senior citizens
Extending postal ballot to senior citizens The EC notified amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules on June 19, extending the postal ballot facility — that so far was available only for armed forces personnel and government servants posted abroad — to those above 65 years and anyone suffering from COVID-19. The Representation of the People Act, 1951 provides for any person to be given the postal facility by the ECI in consultation with the government. The ECI had recommended that three categories of electors – those 80 years and above, persons with disabilities, and essential services workers – be given the postal ballot facility. With the country in lockdown since March 25 and those above 65 years categorised as vulnerable in case of COVID-19 infection, the ECI decided to extend the postal ballot facility to them and those in home or institutional quarantine due to the virus. Read Also Mudra Yojana However, It would jeopardise the democratic process of free and fair elections and would lead to malpractices and foul play by those parties which are in power and have resources. With the postal ballot, there was a greater chance of disclosure of voter’s preference to the public at large, which violated the fundamental premise of right to secrecy of vote. The migrant workers and non-resident Indians are quasi disenfranchised section, fo whom their Ned to put in a mechanism to exercise their franchise. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
MGNREGS needs extension
MGNREGS needs extension In the last two months(May- June 2020) majority of the poor rural households have nearly completed their full quota of employment under the MGNREGS scheme. According to the finding, 8.4 lakh poor households have completed at lest 80 of 100 day limit for work and 1.4 lakh completed full quota. The surge in demand for job under MGNERGS , despite swell in agrarian employment due to good monsoon, is attributed to excess labour supply by reverse migration from cities and economic distress due to corona pandemic and lockdown. The MGNERGS not only acted as insurance for rural populations in times of distress but also acted as an antidote to fall in demand and consumption by poor constraint economy. The scheme also acted as a vehicle for rural development. In the context Corona pandemic and its impact on the economy, the scheme helps in creating employment, boost consumption and aid economic recovery. Extension of 100 day limit for guaranteed employment for rural poor, an expansion of the scheme to cover urban area and comprehensive implementation of the scheme are much-needed reforms in the given circumstances. Read Also Minimum Support Price (MSP) Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Coronavirus impact on environment
Corona virus impact on environment According to WHO, Increasing incidents of virus outbreaks are due to The destruction of wild habitat, forest and their food sources for urbanisation, mining, industry and agriculture expansion means pathogen once confined to wild are better positioned to infect humans. Elimination of biodiversity and the distance barriers that lent resilience to a human and domestic animal,due to mono cropping and live stock farming system. Instead learning lessons from the pandemic, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) have considered, and in many cases cleared multiple industrial, mining and infrastructure proposals in critical wildlife habitats, and life and livelihood-sustaining forests. These include… Etalin Hydropower Project in the biodiversity-rich Dibang valley of Arunachal Pradesh. A coal mine in Assam’s Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve Diamond mining in the Panna forested belt in Madhya Pradesh. Read Also Central Administrative Tribunal A coal mine to be operated by Adani Enterprises with a coal-fired power plant in Odisha’s Talabira forests A limestone mine in the Gir National Park, Gujarat. A geotechnical investigation in the Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary in Karnataka. More over the draft Environment Impact Assessment is diluting it’s earlier version. As per the draft, starting a project before obtaining environmental approvals will no longer be a violation, and it can be regularised post-facto. Provision for ‘public hearing’ is diluted which is an opportunity of voice for the project affected community and environmental and social experts. The notification proposes to exempt a wider range of projects from hearings, including those which authorities can arbitrarily designate as ‘strategic’. The draft notification says virtually nothing on improving monitoring and compliance with clearance conditions and safeguards. Read Also Space- Role for private sector Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha The origin of the second Chamber can be traced to the Montague-Chelmsford Report of 1918. The Government of India Act, 1919 provided for the creation of a ‘Council of State’ as a second chamber of the then legislature with a restricted franchise which actually came into existence in 1921. Role of Rajya Sabha Rajya Sabha has prevented hasty legislation and has served as a dignified chamber representing the federal principle. As a federal chamber, it has worked for the unity and integrity of the nation and has reinforced the faith of the people in parliamentary democracy. The Rajya Sabha has some special powers as required to adopt a resolution allowing Parliament to legislate on subjects in the State List and creating All India Services (Art 312), besides approving proclamations of Emergency and President’s Rule when the Lok Sabha is dissolved. It has been playing a pivotal role in India’s much cherished parliamentary democracy, keeping the bicameral structure alive, setting new records and creating history since its inception. Rajya Sabha has been more like an eclectic mix of minds from different streams of life as parties could afford to nominate writers, actors, economists or even poets or political leaders in the house. It helps in a deeper review of laws, it provides a wider platform for more talent and expertise as it complements the first chamber in securing greater executive accountability. The Upper House had cleared bills to penalise untouchability (1954), prohibit dowry (1959), set up All India Institute of Medical Sciences (1956), and give all Indian children the right to education (2009). It had also passed the Women’s Reservation bill [also called the Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill] (2010) though the Lok Sabha didn’t take it up. It ensures continuity and also brings about a fusion of new and old in the House .This type of arrangement is designed to secure the representation of past as well as current opinion and help in maintaining continuity in public policy. The Rajya Sabha has remained a vanguard for political and social values, a melting pot of culture and diversity and over all, a relentless flag-bearer of sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic called India. It fortifies the federal nature of the Indian democracy. It serves the purpose of check and balance on the activities of the ‘Lok Sabha’. It also provides a platform to the small and regional parties to present their views. The ‘Rajya Sabha’, the bureaucracy and the judiciary act as the 3-layered wall that sees to the upkeep of the principles of a democratic republic like India. It would introduce an element of sobriety and second thought besides lending voice to the constituent units in the legislative scheme of things. The mandate of the Rajya Sabha is to revise or delay legislation without proving a clog in the wheel of the progress; to represent the interests of the States as a federal chamber; and be a deliberative body holding high-quality debates on important issues. HereIssues related to Rajya Sabha The Upper House spends only 24% of its time in deliberating and passing laws It witnesses a disturbing trend of rising disruptions which dent the quality of law-making as seen in passing of Bills without discussion sometimes.. Productivity of the house fell from 87% during 1998-2004 to 61% during 2015-19. Legislatures ensure accountability of the executive through Questions, Calling Attention Notices etc. This Oversight function of the Council of States has fallen from 39.50% to 12.34% since 2015. The Rajya Sabha has become a haven for losers in elections, crony capitalists, compromised journalists and party fundraisers. It acts as a “clog in the wheel of progress” of the nation by delaying the major legislations in the house. Reform measures needed The council of states should not be abolished, but it definitely needs to be reformed to get the institutional incentives right.It is much more practical to try and reform the Rajya Sabha than seeking to abolish it. One useful reform step would be to have members of the Rajya Sabha be directly elected by the citizens of a state. This will reduce cronyism and patronage appointments. This step should be combined with equal representation for each state in the house The Rajya Sabha is here to stay. It is our responsibility to make it an effective and time-bound contributor to India’s parliamentary system. Question India needs a strong council of states, perhaps even more so today when there is so much attention being paid to the principle of cooperative federalism. Critically analyse this statement Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey.Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. contact us
Balochistan Liberation Army
Balochistan Liberation Army The June 29 attack on the Karachi Stock Exchange that claimed at least eight lives brought back attention on the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) as well as the complexity of the Baloch militancy. Three phases of Baloch militancy are The first phase unfolded in the immediate aftermath of the partition and creation of Pakistan. The second phase during the era of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto following the 1971 Indo-Pak Bangladesh liberation war. The launching of a military campaign against the rebels by Pervez Musharraf leading resistance by Baloch people. Read Also India and Terrorism Baloch Liberation Army is associated with Free Balochistan Movement, under the leadership of Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri. Their concern is that Pakistan government is an exploitative arm that cart away the natural resources of the region without pushing proportionate development. Baloch Liberation Army is a strong opposer of CPEC project which runs through the Balochistan region. Read Also Terrorism Financing Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Privatisation of Indian Railways
Privatisation of Indian Railways Indian Railways has launched the process of opening up train operations to private entities on 109 destination pairs of routes using 151 modern trains. The Tejas train operated by IRCTC,in which government is majority stakeholder, is the first train allowed to be run by a ‘non-Railway operators. Bibek Debroy committee constituted in 2015 has recommended liberalisation and not privatisation of railways as the way forward. The present move takes another step towards competing passenger train operations, bringing new-generation trains and attracting investments of an estimated ₹30,000 crore. Participation of the private sector ensures a better quality of service and new train travel experience similar to aircraft and air-conditioned buses. From a passenger perspective, there is a need for more train services, particularly between big cities. Train services operated by Indian Railways cover several classes of passengers, meeting the social service obligation to connect remote locations, and adopting the philosophy of cross-subsidy for passengers in low-cost trains through higher freight tariffs. However private operators are not expected to shoulder the burden of universal service norm. Read Also Kisan Rail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJh8L3Ezodw Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
World Bank’s STARS project
World Bank’s STARS project World Bank has approved a new project worth $500 million to improve learning outcome and governance of government schools in six Indian states. The project, named STARS (Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program), will be implemented through the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. The project, ‘STARS’ will be implemented in Himachal, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan. Read Also Gig Economy STARS will help improve learning assessment systems, strengthen classroom instruction, and remediation, facilitate school-to-work transition, and strengthen governance and decentralized management. STARS will support India’s renewed focus on addressing the ‘learning outcome’ challenge and help students better prepare for the jobs of the future – through a series of reform initiatives. The program will also support individualized, needs-based training for teachers that will give them an opportunity to have a say in shaping training programs and making them relevant to their teaching needs. The STARS program builds on the long partnership between India and the World Bank, since 1994, for strengthening public school education and to support the country’s goal of providing ‘Education for All’. However there are concerns that instead of building state capability, the World Bank education project gives a larger role to non-state actors and use of technology. Read Also Green Crackers and Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
