Israel UAE ties : Direct phone call established

Why in News ?

UAE and Israel ties : after open up their ties before three days they established direct phone call. This shows both the nations are swiftly moving towards normalise their relation. In return, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to suspend his plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank. 

Why it is special about the Move ?

• UAE becomes the third Arab country to normalise relations with Israel after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.
• Now in the middle east UAE enjoys the tag as a regional peace keeping country.
• Besides Israel’s move seen as dream of establishing ties with Middle East.
• Saudi Arabia have been quietly strengthening ties with Israel to attain technology from Israel. 
• Also Israel already have informal relation with with Bahrain, Oman, Sudan and Morocco.

What are the benefits ?

• Many economic opportunities will open now, and these trust-building steps are an important step toward advancing states’ interests.
• It will helps to tackle various terror threat in the middle east in the long run. 
• This will helps to reduce the conflict in region through a peaceful manner.  
• After reestablishing ties both nations will also partner on fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Under the deal, Israel would suspend its plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank.

Regional Map for Reference

Source : The Hindu

Topic   : Prelims, GS II :- International Relations; Bilateral agreements

Corruption allegations against judges SC to Study

Why in news?

SC decided to examine corruption allegations against judges under what circumstances they are made public. Besides SC will study the procedure to be adopted if such statements of corruption are made in public.

The court passed this order while hearing the 2009 contempt case against advocate Prashant Bhushan who allegedly spoke about judicial corruption in an interview to Tehelka magazine.

What to observe?

• Under what circumstances at which the statements made in public and need for that.
• For any such arguments made in public the procedure to be adopted for argument for both sitting and retired judges.
• Also SC will study the impact of corruption charges to be made in front of public before any probe.

Allegations against judges

• Judges are accused with allegation including corruption, and a couple of them are sexual harassment.
• All these may be without any evidence too. If these are proved this can be seen as misbehaviour or misconduct.
• Any activity or behaviour that meddles with the quality of justice should be a matter of concern.
• In fact majority of allegation was baseless and some motive behind.

Earlier SC Judgement

• K Veeraswami vs Union Of India And Others (1991) : Five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court ruled that in case of an allegation of corruption against a judge of the Supreme Court, the President would order an investigation in consultation with the CJI. If the allegation is against the CJI himself, the President would consult other judges and act on their advice.

Way Forward

In fact India does not currently have a statutory mechanism to examine the misconduct of judges and no mechanism available to make judges accountable.

• Accountability of public officials, including judges, is the very essence of a mature democracy. Accountability makes the exercise of power more efficient and effective.
• At the time of appointment itself selecting the right people is a good way forward. There has to be a formal mechanism based on equality of opportunity and transparency in the process of judicial selection and proceedings.
• Code of conduct for judges evolved in the Bangalore convention is one the best way forward. Bangalore Draft Code of Judicial Conduct adopted by the Judicial Group on Strengthening Judicial Integrity. It is about independence, impartiality, integrity, propriety, sense of equality, competence and diligence, as fundamental judicial values. And internationally accepted norms.

Source : The Hindu

Topic : GS II : – Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions

SWASTHYA Portal and ALEKH e-newsletter launched

Why in News ?

SWASTHYA Portal and ALEKH e-newsletter launched by Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Tribal Health and Nutrition Portal     : Swasthya

e-newsletter on health and nutrition : ALEKH

About Swasthya portal

• E-portal is a first of it’s kind, providing all health and nutrition related information of the tribal population in one platform
• Also various innovative practices, research, best practices and experience can be shared.

About Alekh

• It is a quarterly news letter
• This is to improve the health and well being of tribal society

Facebook is one of the partner of this program.

Source : PIB

Topic : Prelims, GS II :- Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population

PM Cares Fund RTI

Why in News?

Prime Minister office denies RTI request on PM CARES Fund. Office claims that this was a misuse of the RTI Act and should be penalised under the law.

About PM CARES Fund

• It stands for Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund.
• The main objective of dealing with any kind of emergency situation like COVID-19.
• Aims to provide financial assistance, to the populations on time whenever necessary.
• Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman and Minister of Defence, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Finance, Government of India are ex-officio Trustees of the Fund.
• Besides Chairman has the power to nominate three other trustee to the fund .
• The fund receives voluntary contributions from various persons or organisation.
• PM CARES Fund has also got exemption under the FCRA and qualify for 80G benefits for 100% exemption under the Income Tax Act, 1961.

About News

• The office denied to give information related to the PM CARES Fund.
• Prime Minister’s Office responded with the overall data, but refused to divulge information specific to the two funds.
• PMO CLAIMED Information is not maintained in this office and this disproportionately divert the resources of this office from the efficient discharge of its normal functions, thereby attracting the provisions under Section 7(9) of the Act.
  • Section 7(9) in The Right To Information Act, 2005
    • An information shall ordinarily be provided in the form in which it is sought unless it would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority or would be detrimental to the safety or preservation of the record in question.

What are the concerns?

• There was a question that the need to create the reserve when Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund is already in existence.
• They have also expressed doubts about the fund’s transparency.
• It is also exempt from the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, and accepts foreign contributions.

Criticism Raised

• Kerala HC Judgement : Judgment by the Kerala High Court in 2010, Section 7(9) does not exempt any public authority from disclosing information.
• It has the only power to change the form other than the form in which it sought.
• Delhi High Court asking to bring PM-CARES Fund under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Source : Hindustan Times

Topic : GS II :- Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability