Current Affairs 12 September 2020 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 12 September 2020 focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

1. Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework, Streets for People Challenge
2. Ranking of States on Support to Startup Ecosystems
3. Exemption of forest penalty
4. India-China agree on 5-point plan
5. Grievance Redress System In J&K
6. Publicity of Criminal Antecedents
7. Law Ministry For Virtual Courts

Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework

Why in News ?

Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs has launched the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF) 2.0, along with the ‘Streets for People Challenge.

About Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF) 2.0

• The objective of CSCAF is to provide a clear roadmap for cities towards combating Climate Change while planning and implementing their actions.
• Need for Framework
  • In the last decade an increasing frequency of cyclones, floods, heat waves, water scarcity and drought-like conditions have had adverse impacts on many of our cities.
  • Such extreme events and risks cause loss of life as well as impact the economic growth.
• To inculcate a climate-sensitive approach to urban planning and development in India.
• The framework has 28 indicators across five categories namely
  • Energy and Green Buildings
  • Urban Planning, Green Cover & Biodiversity
  • Mobility and Air Quality
  • Water Management
  • Waste Management

Streets for People Challenge

• To the need for making our cities more walk able and pedestrian friendly.
• The Challenge builds on the advisory issued by MoHUA for the holistic planning for pedestrian-friendly market spaces.
• The Challenge will support cities across the country to develop a unified vision of streets for people in consultation with stakeholders and citizens.
• Adopting a participatory approach, cities will be guided to launch their own design competitions to gather innovative ideas from professionals for quick, innovative, and low-cost tactical solutions.
• Inspire cities to create walking-friendly and vibrant streets through quick, innovative, and low-cost measures.
• Cities encouraged to use the test-learn-scale approach to initiate both flagship and neighbourhood walking interventions.
  • The interventions can include creating pedestrian-friendly streets in high footfall areas.
  • Re-imagining under-flyover spaces.
  • Re-vitalizing dead neighbourhood spaces.
  • Creating walking links through parks and institutional areas.
• Who were in the run ?
  • Fit India Mission under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
  • India program of the Institute for Transport Development and Policy (ITDP) have partnered with the Smart Cities Mission to support the challenge.

Source : PIB

Topic

Prelims : Smart Cities Mission, Streets for People Challenge, Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF) 2.0

GS III : Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc

Exemption of forest penalty

Why in News ?

Union Ministry of Mines has requested an expert advisory committee of the Environment Ministry for Exemption of forest penalty which is a Supreme Court-mandated fees that prospectors pay when they dig exploratory boreholes in forests.

What is Net Present Value (NPV)?

• Monetary approximation of the value that is lost when a piece of forest land has been razed.
• This is on the basis of the services and ecological value.
• There are prescribed formulae for calculating the amount
• Also depends on the location and nature of the forest and the type of industrial enterprise that will replace a particular parcel of forest.
• The Supreme Court mandates this must be paid by those who use forest land for non-forestry purposes and only limited exemptions are permitted.
• The NPV came into being after a committee led by Professor Kanchan Gupta of the Institute of Economic Growth developed it based on a mandate from the Supreme Court.

Why Ministry of Mines wants it to be exempted ?

• Prospecting and exploring in forests be exempted from the purview of the Forest Conservation Act
• All areas of exploration are not converted into mining.
• Only about 1% cases are converted to mining.
• By considering, payment of NPV is regarded as an avoidable expenditure.
• It was submitted that even payment of NPV at a rate of 2% or 5% is one of the major challenges which leads to delay in the exploration/ prospecting activities.
• In 2018 the Coal Ministry, the Mines Ministry and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas want NPV exempted from forest clearances for digging exploratory boreholes. The FAC refused but agreed to simplify the procedure.

Forest Conservation Act

• To protect its rich forests, biodiversity and natural heritage and resources.
• The act permits only unavoidable use of forest land for various development purposes.
• Balance the conservation of forests with the sustainable developmental need of the society contributing to better environment, health and economy.

Various Government effort in conservation of Forest

• National Forest Policy : aim of bringing a minimum of one-third of India’s total geographical area under forest or tree cover.
• Reserve Forest Tag : In all areas falls under this tag all commercial exploitation are banned.
• Three major schemes : National Afforestation Programme (NAP) scheme, National Mission for a Green India (GIM) and Forest Fire Prevention & Management Scheme.
• Animal Conservation Programme : Project Tiger, Project Elephant, Crocodile Conservation Project.
• Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 : Protected Areas like National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves
• Mining And Mineral Development Regulation Act 1957 : Mandates mining and prospecting in forest land, prior permission is needed from the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
• Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Rights) Act 2006 : Aims to protect the marginalised socio-economic class of citizens and balance the right to environment with their right to life and livelihood.

Way Forward recommended

Consider charging NPV on borehole basis instead of the present practice of charging 2 or 5% NPV of the total forest area in the lease area. Total exemption is not possible as prospecting on a site, large boreholes are dug to determine the existence, location and quantity of metal. 

Source : The Hindu

Topic 

GS III : Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

India-China agree on 5-point plan

Why in News ?

India-China agree on 5-point plan of action to disengage and reduce tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) where Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a four and a half month long stand-off.

5-Point Plan of Action

• The five-point plan is
  • Disengaging quickly to ease tensions
  • Abiding by the existing India-China border protocols and avoiding escalatory action
  • Following the consensus between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping to not allow differences to become disputes. 
  • Continuing the dialogue between the Special Representatives, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Mr. Wang, as well as the other mechanisms.
  • Working towards new confidence-building measures (CBMs).
• How this helpful ?
  • To ensure a comprehensive disengagement of troops in all the friction areas and to prevent any untoward incident in the future.

What is the issue ?

• Chinese Version
  • Indian Army illegally crossing the line on August 31 at two points at the south bank of Pangong lake and near the Reqin mountain pass (near Rezang La) and blatantly provoked and caused tension on the border.
• Indian Claim
  • On the night of August 29/30, PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and
    diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff.

In general face-offs occur when patrols encounter each other in the contested zones between overlapping claim lines.

Where is the Pangong Tso Lake?

• Lake that is partly in India’s Ladakh region and partly in Tibet is an endorheic lake in the Himalayas.
• An Inner Line Permit is required to visit the lake as it lies on the Sino-Indian Line of Actual Control. For security reasons, India does not permit boating.
• China National Highway 219 passes by the eastern end of Pangong Tso.
• Nearly 20 km east from the Line of Actual Control is controlled by China but claimed by India.
• K2, the world’s second highest peak, ends at the north bank of Pangong Tso.
• The lake freezes during the winter even though its salinity which allowing some vehicular movement on it as well.

Why China tries to occupy the region ?

• Chinese troops continue to occupy the Finger 4 ridgeline, though they have stepped back from the base of Finger 4 to the base of Finger 5.
• Pangong Tso is strategically crucial as it is very close to Chusul Valley and they wants to keep the region of strategical importance. 
• Any kind of construction in the region may thwart Chinese importance in the strategic location and occupation in Aksaichin region. 
• Besides the major involvement of India in the region may hit China-Pak corridor, so China wants to keep the region tension high. 

Source : The Hindu

Topic

GS II : India and its neighbourhood – relations

Grievance Redress System In J&K

Why in News ?

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant-Governor launched the Jammu and Kashmir Integrated Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (JK-IGRAMS) in a bid to create an interface with the public and focus on governance issues in the Union Territory.

Grievance Redress System In J&K

• Aims step towards gaining people’s trust.
• Jammu and Kashmir Integrated Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (JK-IGRAMS) considered to be a part of good governance.
• The system is being launched on a pilot basis in three districts Jammu, Srinagar, and Reasi
• It will gradually be rolled out in the remaining districts by October 2 and will replace the current portal that was launched in 2018.
  • The existing portal has now been integrated downwards to the district level by mapping nearly 1,500 public offices in 20 districts of the Union Territory.
• District Collectors and Deputy Commissioners will be the primary nodes for receiving, disposing and monitoring grievances.
• Significance
  • The move comes at a time when a sense of disconnection and alienation has been growing among the people, especially in the Kashmir Valley.

About Grievance Redress System

• Grievance redress mechanism of an organization is the gauge to measure its efficiency and effectiveness. 
• Designated nodal agencies in the Central Government
  • Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances
  • Directorate of Public Grievance
• There should be a process flows for grievance redressal.
• Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System
  • It aims at receive, redress and monitor the grievances of the public.
  • Launched by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions.
  • Developed by National Informatics Centre (Ministry of Electronics & IT [MeitY]), in association with Directorate of Public Grievances (DPG) and Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).

Source : The Hindu

Topic

GS III : Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures

Publicity of Criminal Antecedents

Why in News ?

Revising the timeline for political parties and candidates to publish details of the criminal antecedents of the nominees decided by ECI. EC has made it clear that the first “publicity” of criminal records should be within first four days of the last date of withdrawal of candidature.

Revised Guidelines

• Timeline for Publicity
  • The candidates as well as the political parties, regarding candidates nominated by them, will publish the details of criminal antecedents, if any, in newspapers and television in following manner:
    • First publicity: Within first 4 days of last date of withdrawal.
    • Second publicity: Within 5th to 8th day of last date of withdrawal.
    • Third publicity: From 9th day till the last day of campaign, i.e. two days prior to date of poll.
• Uncontested Winner Candidates
  • the political parties who nominate them shall also publicise the criminal antecedents, if any, as prescribed for other contesting candidates and political parties.
• How it help ?
  • This will help in creating more awareness amongst the voters and other stakeholders.
  • This timeline will help the voters in exercising their choices in more informed manner.

Publicity of Criminal Antecedents

• Election Commission (EC) had issued directions making it compulsory for candidates contesting elections and the parties fielding them to advertise their criminal antecedents in TV and newspapers at least three times during electioneering in 2018
• Besides electoral reform related to publicity of criminal antecedents was set in motion by the Supreme Court (SC) in September, 2018.
• This will help to scrutinise contestant the why they had chosen them over those with clean records along with detailed information about candidates with criminal cases pending against them, including the nature of the offences.

Source : PIB

Topic

GS II : Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act

Law Ministry For Virtual Courts

Why in News ?

Parliamentary Panel on Law and Justice has recommended continuation of virtual courts even in a post-COVID scenario

Virtual Courts

• Virtual Court is a concept aimed at eliminating presence of litigant or lawyer in the court and adjudication of the case online.
  • The court has been hearing urgent cases through video-conference.
  • The Benches hearing these cases sit in the courtrooms, while lawyers make their submissions , through video links from their homes or offices.
  • The court had named this mechanism the virtual court system.
• How it helpful
  • It will reduce the cost of litigation substantially, and will make the justice system much more accessible, especially to the poor.
  • Regular court establishments to virtual courts will reduce the pendency of cases.

Support for Open Court Hearing

• Constitutional Support 
  • Article 145(4) of the Constitution of India provides that no judgment shall be delivered by the Supreme Court other than in open court.
  • Under Article 143 no report shall be made other that in accordance with an opinion also delivered in open court.
• Law mandates open court hearings in all criminal and civil cases.
  • Section 327 of the Criminal Procedure Code
  • Section 153-B of Civil Procedure Code

Issues with Virtual Court

• Complaint regarding the network connectivity sometime it Disconnected halfway.
• Also sounded that infrastructure needs to be upgraded especially in district courts to implement this.
• Present infrastructure does not support virtual court proceedings.
• Many lawyers, particularly in district courts, do not have any laptop or computer facility.
• Video-conferencing system, was subject to frequent crashes of the system and entire proceedings can be vitiated by one glitch.
• Concern Over Privacy
  • Virtual courts will compromise privacy of data as well as confidentiality of discussions and court proceedings.
  • Hacking and compromise to internet security while using a third party conferencing application is the core issue.

Way Forward

Third party software in not a good option as it compromises security. Address data privacy and data security concerns while developing a new platform for India’s judicial system.

Source : The Hindu

Topic

GS III : Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies

Current Affairs 12 September 2020 : Our major Sources for the Current Affairs are The Hindu, Indian Express, PIB. For more queries and mentor-ship please contact us.