Natural gas drives record CO2 emissions in 2019 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Natural gas drives record CO2 emissions in 2019.

The report will make for further uncomfortable reading for delegates gathered at UN climate talks in Madrid, with the warnings from the world's top climate scientists still ringing in their ears.

Global carbon emissions boosted by soaring natural gas use are set to hit record levels in 2019 despite a decline in coal consumption and a string of countries declaring a climate emergency, researchers said Wednesday. In its annual analysis of fossil fuel trends, the Global Carbon Project said CO2 emissions were on course to rise 0.6 percent this year -- slower than previous years but still a world away from what is needed to keep global warming in check.
In three peer-reviewed studies, authors attributed the rise to "robust growth" in natural gas and oil, which offset significant falls in coal use in the United States and Europe.
"We see clearly that global changes come from fluctuations in coal use," said Corrine Le Quere, from the University of East Anglia, an author on the Carbon Budget report.
"In contrast the use of oil and particularly natural gas is going up unabated. Natural gas is now the biggest contributor to the growth in emissions." Atmospheric CO2 levels, which have been climbing exponentially in recent decades, are expected to hit an average of 410 parts per million this year, Le Quere said.
That's the highest level in at least 800,000 years.
The report will make for further uncomfortable reading for delegates gathered at UN climate talks in Madrid, with the warnings from the world's top climate scientists still ringing in their ears.
Last week the UN said global emissions needed to fall 7.6 percent each year, every year, to 2030 to stand any chance of limiting temperature rises to 1.5C (2.6 Farenheit).
With just 1C of warming since the industrial era so far, 2019 saw a string of deadly superstorms, drought, wildfires and flooding, made more intense by climate change.
The UN said Wednesday that the 2010s was almost certain to be the hottest decade on record and as many as 22 million people could be displaced by extreme weather this year.
The authors pointed out 2019's rise in emissions was slower than each of the two previous years.
Yet with energy demand showing no sign of peaking even with the rapid growth of low carbon technology such as wind and solar power, emissions in 2019 are still set to be four percent higher than in 2015, the year nations agreed to limit temperature rises in the Paris climate accord.
While emissions levels can vary annually depending on economic growth and even weather trends, the Carbon Budget report shows how far nations still need to travel to drag down carbon pollution.
"Current policies are clearly not enough to reverse trends in global emissions. The urgency of action has not sunk in yet," said Le Quere.
She highlighted anticipated emissions falls of 1.7 percent in the US and Europe as the power sector continues its switch away from coal.
The most polluting fossil fuel saw its usage drop by as much as 10 percent in the two regions this year, the report said.
But such savings were offset globally by the likes of India and China, the biggest overall emitter, and specifically by an increase in energy from natural gas.
"Compared to coal, natural gas is a cleaner fossil fuel, but unabated natural gas use merely cooks the planet more slowly than coal," said Glen Peters, research director at the CICERO Center for International Climate Research.
For Joeri Rogelj, lecturer in Climate Change at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, the small slowdown in emissions growth this year "is really nothing to be overly enthusiastic about".
Without drastic and sustained reductions, he said, "it is clear that we are not only continuing to make climate change worse, we're doing it at a pace faster than ever before."


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Natural gas drives record CO2 emissions in 2019.

Union Cabinet approves Personal Data Protection Bill - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Union Cabinet approves Personal Data Protection Bill.

The Union Cabinet approved the Personal Data Protection Bill on Wednesday. Among a host of things the bill proposes broad guidelines on the management of personal data by public and private corporations. It has also proposed penalties for the violation of the same.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar has said that the bill has been approved by the Cabinet and would be introduced in the Parliament. The bill comes after a Supreme Court judgment in August 2017 declared the 'Right to Privacy' a fundamental right. The apex court also upheld in a subsequent judgment in September 2018 the need for a strong personal data protection regime.
Here's what the Data Protection Bill entails:
The bill states that critical data of individuals by internet companies must be stored within the country. Sensitive data can be transferred overseas only after approval of the data owner, as per news agency PTI. Moreover, the data to be transferred overseas can only be for purposes permissible under the proposed legislation.
Critical data would be defined from time to time by the government and would include data related to health, religious or political orientation, biometrics, genetic, sexual orientation, health, financial etc.
If found guilty of violation, a penalty of up to Rs 15 crore or 4 per cent of an entity's global revenue would be imposed on the violator. When it comes to minor violations, the Data Protection Bill proposes penalty of Rs 5 crore or 2 per cent of the global turnover. The bill also proposes jail term for officers of the entity found violating the provisions.
If a company's executive in-charge is found guilty of knowingly matching anonymous data with publicly available information to find out the identity of an individual, then that individual would face jail term of up to three years.
Social media companies would need to frame a mechanism to identify users who are willing to be identified on a voluntary basis. "Under the provision, a social media fiduciary will have to give users on its platform an option to get verified. It will be voluntary for individuals if they want to get verified or not," a source informed the news agency.
The right to be forgotten has also been proposed for data owners in the bill. Users have the right to erase, correct or port their data, the bill states.
The Data Protection Bill also encourages entities to process data in India for lawful purposes. Processing of personal data in case of national security issues or court orders have been exempted.
"Any data which can identify an individual has been defined as personal data. While all entities will need to obtain the explicit consent of the data owner, in some cases like the security of the state, providing relief in case of a medical emergency, detection of unlawful activity, whistleblowing etc an explicit consent may not be required," the source said.
Entities involved in the data processing business must register with the government as data fiduciary for the purpose of data processing. "The government will have the right to direct data fiduciary to share anonymised or non-personal data for better targeting of service, policymaking, relief work, etc," said the source as mentioned in a report in the news agency.


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States’ approval not needed for quota Bill - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

States’ approval not needed for quota Bill.

Amendment to a fundamental right need not be ratified by the legislatures.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty Fourth Amendment) Bill of 2019 providing up to 10% reservation for economically weaker sections of the society may be notified as the law of the land sooner than expected.
The proviso to Article 368 (power of Parliament to amend the Constitution and procedure thereof) holds that an amendment to a fundamental right coming under Part III of the Constitution need not be ratified by the Legislatures of one-half of the States. So, this Bill may be notified by the Central government as soon as it gets the assent from the President.
Right to equality
The Bill, passed by both the Houses of the Parliament, adds new clauses to Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution. Both the Articles come under the part of ‘Fundamental Rights’ in the text of the Constitution. They are part of the ‘right to equality’ section of fundamental rights envisaged in the Constitution.

The new clause (6) to Article 15 allows the government to carve reservation for the economically weaker sections of the society in higher educational institutions, including private ones, whether they are aided or not by the State. Minority educational institutions are exempted. Likewise, the new clause (6) to Article 16 provides for quota for economically-deprived sections in the initial appointment in government services.
“The proviso to Article 368 makes it clear that when a Constitution amendment of a fundamental right is in question, the Bill concerned need not be sent to the States’ Legislative Assemblies for ratification. Only Constitution amendments which affect the Centre-State relations or division of powers in a federal structure require subsequent ratification by the States’ Legislatures before the Presidential assent,” Professor R. Venkat Rao, constitutional expert and Vice-Chancellor of National Law School India University at Bengaluru, said.
To a query by Rajya Sabha MP M.K. Kanimozhi on exactly this point, Union Law Minister Ravishankar Prasad had, on the floor of the House, confirmed that there was no need for States’ ratification of the Bill.
“If the Parliament is amending the Fundamental Rights, under Article 368, there is no obligation to go to the State Vidhan Sabha. This was a part of the Constitution, as framed by them in 1949 and 1950. That needs to be appreciated,” Mr. Prasad had responded to Ms. Kanimozhi’s query during the Parliament discussions on the Bill.
Experts, however, agree that the economic reservation law is open for judicial review. “Primarily, it affects the Basic Structure of the Constitution. The Constitution does not provide for economic reservation. The Indira Sawhney judgment has capped the reservation limit to 50%. Now, the new Bill increases reservation to 60%. The court has said economically-deprived is not a homogenous group. It has held that economic backwardness cannot be the sole criterion for reservation,” former solicitor-general Mohan Parasaran said. (Source: The Hindu)


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Parliament passes Bill to provide 10% quota for poor - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Parliament passes Bill to provide 10% quota for poor.

A day after Lok Sabha approved The Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019, the Rajya Sabha passed the law with 165 voting in favour and 7 against.

Parliament on Wednesday cleared the Constitutional Amendment Bill guaranteeing 10% quota in education and employment to economically weaker sections in the general category, following an approval by the Rajya Sabha.
The Upper House nod came following an over nine-hour-long heated debate, during which the Opposition accused the government of bringing the Bill in haste with an eye on the coming Lok Sabha election.
The Bill was passed with a majority of 165 against seven votes. It will be now sent for Presidential assent.
The Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill was introduced by Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot, who later in his reply said that the existing reservation to the SCs, STs and OBCs would not be touched by the amendment.
Clarifying the Bill’s provisions, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the reservation would be applicable to jobs in both Central and State governments, adding that the legislation gave powers to States to determine the economic criteria for identification of beneficiaries. He responded to the Opposition’s charge of political intent by terming the government move a “slog-over six”, with many more to come.
Earlier, during the debate, Congress leader Anand Sharma said provisions under Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution were for the backward and weaker communities. In the past, attempts were made twice to extend reservation beyond their scope, but the Supreme Court struck them down. The same happened in several States. (Source: The Hindu)


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Parliament passes Bill to provide 10% quota for poor.

Lok Sabha Passes Bill to Remove Leprosy as Ground for Divorce - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Lok Sabha Passes Bill to Remove Leprosy as Ground for Divorce.

The bill seeks to remove leprosy as a ground for divorce in five personal laws – Hindu Marriage Act, Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, Divorce Act (for Christians), Special Marriage Act and the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act.

A bill seeking to remove leprosy as a ground for divorce was passed by Lok Sabha on Monday.
“Leprosy is being removed as a ground for divorce as it is now a curable disease as against the earlier notion of it being incurable,” minister of state for law P.P. Chaudhary while replying to a discussion on The Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018.
The bill seeks to remove leprosy as a ground for divorce in five personal laws – Hindu Marriage Act, Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, Divorce Act (for Christians), Special Marriage Act and the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act.
The bill was passed by a voice vote amid din as Congress and SP members protested over Rafale and CBI issue respectively.
Chaudhary said leprosy as a ground for divorce is a “discriminatory” provision. The Human Rights Commission and judgements of various courts had also underlined the need to amend the laws to remove this discrimination.
The bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in August 2018.
The Law Commission in its report had also recommended repealing laws and provisions which were discriminatory against leprosy-affected people.
Besides, India is a signatory to a UN Resolution which calls for the elimination of discrimination against persons suffering from leprosy.
In 2014, the Supreme Court had also asked the Centre and the state governments to take steps for rehabilitation and integration of leprosy-affected people into the mainstream.


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Lok Sabha Passes Bill to Remove Leprosy as Ground for Divorce.

Lok Sabha passes Transgender Persons Bill - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Lok Sabha passes Transgender Persons Bill.

Amid noisy protests over the Rafale deal and Cauvery issue, the Lok Sabha on Monday passed a bill seeking to empower the transgender community by providing them a separate identity.

he Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016, seeking to define transgenders and prohibit discrimination against them, was introduced in the Lok Sabha two years ago. It was passed with 27 amendments.
Amid din, five members, including Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar (All India Trinamool Congress) and Badaruddoza Khan (CPI-M), participated in the debate, questioning the provisions of the legislation.
The amendments moved by the government, along with some others moved by opposition members, were considered.
Dastidar said the Bill was hastily drafted and the different clauses mentioned in it were totally inconclusive.
“First we have to define what transgender means....This Bill has to be returned,” she said, adding that a properly drafted Bill had to be tabled.
In the midst of the uproar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the government was ready was any kind of discussion.
Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot said that the Bill was sent to standing committee and the government has accepted 27 amendments.
Khan said that the definition of the transgender mentioned in the Bill was not clear.
Earlier, seeking passage of the bill, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot said the bill was complete and there was no need for more discussion. He said the objectives of the bill includes protecting interests of transgenders, defining of the term ‘transgender’, to give them recognition and setting up of a national transgender council.
“A long discussion has taken place on this issue. It has also gone to the parliamentary standing committee. We have included several of their suggestions,” he said.
Initiating the debate on the bill, Congress member Shashi Tharoor said the bill was “flawed” and the minister should withdraw it. “Defer consideration of the Bill as it needs serious discussion. I request the minister to withdraw the Bill,” he said.
“We need to recognise transgenders’ identity” as it goes beyond male and female, Tharoor said, adding the government has “blindly” borrowed the definition of transgenders. “The Bill also fails to define discrimination against transgenders,” and there is a need to redraft certain clauses, he said.
B. Mahtab (BJD) said there was no clarity on the term “self perceived gender identity” and “how it will be enforced”. He said the definition of transgenders was not complete and that other terms such as transmen and transwomen were not defined. Mahtab added that there were several laws in the country and it was not clear how these laws including the Companies Act would be applied to transgenders.
“Adequate attention has not been given in drafting this Bill,” he maintained, adding the government itself has moved 27 amendments.
Supriya Sule (NCP) said a transgender commission at the national level was not enough. “We are asking for a welfare board for transgenders. They need equal rights,” she said, demanding a helpline number for the community. (Source: The Hindu)


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Lok Sabha passes Transgender Persons Bill.

India inks pact with Iran to pay crude bill in rupee - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India inks pact with Iran to pay crude bill in rupee.

India’s state-owned UCO Bank is expected to announce the payment mechanism in the next 10 days.

India will import crude oil from Iran using a rupee-based payment mechanism, an industry person involved in discussions told Reuterson Thursday, adding that 50% of those payments will be used for exporting items to Tehran. India’s state-owned UCO Bank is expected to announce the payment mechanism in the next 10 days, the person said.
“An agreement had been signed by the Indian and Iranian government on 2 November 2018 for oil payment in rupees and 50% of those funds had been earmarked for exports,” according to an Indian government document reviewed by Reuters.
Oil payments are being made in rupees only as against earlier arrangements where there was a ratio of 45% rupees and 55% euros, the document said.
Russian and Chinese shipping companies were pitching to facilitate India-Iran trade, the source said.
Under US sanctions, India will be allowed to export farm commodities, food, medicines, and medical devices to Iran. However, items such as petroleum and petrochemical products, automobiles, steel, precious metals and graphite are not allowed to be exported to Tehran. (Source: Livemint)


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India inks pact with Iran to pay crude bill in rupee.

Proposed Ganga bill bans ports, jetties - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

Proposed Ganga bill bans ports, jetties

Centre’s efforts have been on cleaning the river, while neglecting steps to ensure its natural flow: activists

The government has banned the construction of jetties, ports or “permanent hydraulic structures” in the Ganga, unless permitted by the National Ganga Rejuvenation Authority, according to a proposed ‘Ganga Act’

The legislation, formally called the National River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Conservation and Management) Bill, 2018, proposes to create a management structure that will supervise the health of the 2,500-kilometre long Ganga which, the draft Bill defines, as ‘India’s national river.’

In Winter session

The Bill is now being circulated for comments among several Ministries, and proposed to be tabled in Parliament during the Winter session, according to sources.

The Bill lays down a host of restrictions to ensure the “uninterrupted, ecological flow” of the river. Currently, a host of dams in the upper stretches of the river lead to the river’s flow being obstructed, say several activists and researchers, and persistent campaigns — notably led by the late G.D. Agrawal — led to the government finally recognising the need for proposed and existing hydropower projects to change their design plans to ensure minimum flows all through the year.

The legislation looms even as the government is developing a National Waterways Project-1 (River Ganga) from Haldia to Varanasi (1,390 km), with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank, at an estimated cost of ₹5,369 crore. Food and beverage giant PepsiCo has dispatched 16 containers from Haldia containing packaged food and assorted goods, and — in a ceremony to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi — they are expected to dock in Varanasi on November 12, according to a statement from the Union Shipping Ministry. This is the first container movement aboard an inland vessel in independent India, according to that Ministry.

The waterways project involves creating permanent and movable terminals that require dredging and frequent de-silting to ensure that minimum river depths — for the smooth movement of the vessels — are maintained. However, the proposed legislation specifies that “unauthorised” activities that cause “…obstruction or discontinuity of water in the River Ganga…due to engineered diversion of water or stoppage of water…could be liable to a prison term of 3 years or fines upto ₹50 crore, or both.”

\

Activists say that while the government’s efforts have been largely on cleaning the Ganga — namely, by installing sewage plants in riverine cities such as Allahabad and Varanasi and Kanpur — but neglecting to take steps to ensure the river’s natural flow is maintained through the stretch. “The government’s draft does not keep the interest of the Ganga as prime focus. The intent seems to be to maintain a flow, whereas we have been insisting on achieving natural flow,” said Mallika Bhanot of the Uttarakhand-based NGO Ganga Ahwaan. The NGO was associated with G.D. Agrawal, and his call for a ban on hydropower projects on the Ganga. (Source: The Hindu)

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Proposed Ganga bill bans ports, jetties

Parliament passes Bill for fast disposal of commercial disputes - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Parliament passes Bill for fast disposal of commercial disputes.

The Parliament on Friday passed a bill that seeks to bring down the specified value of commercial disputes from the existing Rs 1 crore each to Rs 3 lakh and for their speedy disposal.

The bill, that has been approved by Lok Sabha, was passed by Rajya Sabha on Friday.
In his reply to the brief debate, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad favoured creation of All India Judicial Service on the lines of IAS and IPS and said scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward sections should get benefit of reservation.
He also favoured more representation of weaker sections including women in judiciary. He said 727 fast-track courts were handling over five lakh cases.
Referring to members concern over vacancies in judiciary, he said by the end of this year, the government would have appointed the highest number of high court judges. He said there were 5,000 vacancies in lower judiciary and states should make efforts fill them.
The bill provides for establishment of commercial courts at the district judge level for the territories over which respective high courts have ordinary original civil jurisdiction.
It seeks to amend the Commercial Courts Act, 2015 and provides for reducing the specified value of commercial disputes from the existing Rs 1 crore to Rs 3 lakh, enabling the parties to approach the lowest level of subordinate courts for speedy resolution of disputes.
Officials said there has been a steep rise in the number of commercial disputes at domestic and international levels.
Growing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and overseas commercial transactions have also contributed to a significant increase in commercial disputes.
They said bringing down the specified value of commercial disputes would reduce the time taken for resolution of such disputes and improve India's ranking in the ease of doing business. (Source: The Business Standard)


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Parliament passes Bill for fast disposal of commercial disputes.

Parliament passes bill to give constitutional validity to NCBC - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Parliament passes bill to give constitutional validity to NCBC.

The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill, which gives the National Commission for Backward Classes statutory powers, was unanimously passed by the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

The bill was moved for discussion and passage by social justice and empowerment minister Thawar Chand Gehlot in the Rajya Sabha and passed unanimously with 145 ayes and no negative votes or abstentions.
The Lok Sabha passed the bill on August 2. The NCBC would get constitutional status after half of the states approve it with a simple majority and President Ram Nath Kovind gives his nod to the legislation.
Government had faced embarrassment in 2017 when the opposition forced amendments to the bill in the Rajya Sabha where the NDA is in a minority. This time the bill was passed after a give and take between the two sides.

Gehlot assured the House that the opposition demand for having a woman member in the NCBC will be considered when the rules are framed. Opposition dropped its other demand that one member in the five-member body must be from the minority community.
Gehlot also clarified that NCBC will have no right to interfere in the functioning of such state bodies. This law will not be binding on the state backward commissions and the latter will continue to enjoy the powers vested in them. Passage of this bill gives BJP an opportunity to woo the backward castes. The political undertones behind this legislation were obvious in the speeches made by various members.

“We have proved that we were, we are and we will be in favour of reservations,” Gehlot said. He emphasised that BJP strongly backs the rights of Dalits, tribals and backwards. Congress member BK Hariprasad alleged BJP is a party that stands for upper castes and is not in favour of reservations. “They are shedding crocodile tears for OBCs.” (Source: The Economic Times)


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Parliament passes bill to give constitutional validity to NCBC.

Lok Sabha Passed the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Lok Sabha Passed the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018.

The Lok Sabha passed the Prevention of Atrocities against SCs and STs Amendment Bill on Monday restoring its provisions prior to the 20th of March Supreme Court order. The apex court’s step had led to a lot of furor and protests throughout the country as several groups felt that the law had been diluted. The amended bill not only restores previous provisions but also gives it more teeth.

The law to prevent atrocities against scheduled castes and scheduled tribes will remain as stringent as ever. The Prevention of Atrocities against SCs/STs amendment bill not only restores its provisions but also make them stricter. Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot while responding to the discussion on the bill said that though the government had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court but to avoid any delay in justice the law is being strengthened through the legislative route.
The restoration of the provisions of the bill will mean that.
-- No preliminary inquiry will be required before registering an FIR against anyone.
-- The investigating officer will not require the approval of any authority for the arrest of an accused.
-- Persons accused of committing an offence under the Act cannot apply for anticipatory bail.
-- The Bill clarifies that this provision will apply despite any judgements or orders of a court that provide otherwise.
Discussion over the bill saw political parties of all hues backing its passage while making certain suggestions to the govt.
SC/ST BILL GETS WIDE SUPPORT
The Supreme Court had passed its orders over purported misuse of provisions of the Prevention of Atrocities against SCs/STs Act in March this year. This had led to several dalit groups demanding that the government restore the bill to its original form prompting the government to bring the bill to Parliament.
One of the major changes made through the amendments is that the bill as passed in the Lok Sabha covers a total of 47 different offences. The previous bill only had 22 offences in its ambit.


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Lok Sabha Passed the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018.

Lok Sabha passes Bill to set-up sports varsity in Manipur - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Lok Sabha passes Bill to set-up sports varsity in Manipur.

A Bill to establish a National Sports University in Manipur to promote sports education was passed by the Lok Sabha on Friday, as several members sought the inclusion of sports as part of a comprehensive education curriculum.

The National Sports University Bill, 2018, which seeks to replace an ordinance promulgated on May 31, was passed by a voice vote.
During the debate on the Bill, which was introduced on Wednesday, N.K. Premchandran (RSP) asked what was the need for bringing an Ordinance. He said a university has to be autonomous in character but the provisions of the Bill defy this.
He also noted that the central government had the full authority and control over the institution which, therefore, will not be autonomous.
Replying to the debate, Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said the university would be set up in Manipur at a cost of ₹524 crore to promote sports coaching and research.
The legislation was earlier introduced in the Lok Sabha in August 2017, but could not be passed. Hence, the government had to come out with an ordinance, the Minister said.
A sportsperson will be the university vice chancellor, while its academic council will also comprise sports personalities, Mr. Rathore said.
The Bill seeks to set up a specialised university in Manipur, which would be the first of its kind, to promote sports education in the areas of sports sciences, sports technology, sports management and sports coaching.
Besides, the proposed university would also function as the national training centre for select sports disciplines by adopting best international practices.
Among other things, the legislation proposes to empower the university to establish ‘Outlying Campuses’ throughout the country and also outside India.
“Apart from academic programmes and research, the university and its Outlying Campuses’ will also impart training to elite athletes, sports officials, referees, and umpires and evolve as centres of excellence in the various discipline of sports,” said the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill.
In order to make the university a world-class institution, the government has signed an agreement with two Australian universities — University of Canberra and Victoria University — for development of curriculum, research facilities and laboratories, among others.
‘All help from sportsperson being provided’
Replying to concerns raised by members during the debate, Mr. Rathore said all medal winners in the country were funded from the National Sports Development Fund in which all citizens can contribute money.
He said the government provided stipends to sportspersons, besides a variety of monthly allowances to them for food and other expenses. Mr. Rathore said the government has also increased the salary of coaches.
Anurag Singh Thakur (BJP) said this was an extraordinary effort of the government to promote sports in the country.
He said sports tournaments provided a platform to explore young talents and there should be a special fund for MPs to organise such events. He also suggested a comprehensive school education policy with thrust on sports.
Mr. Thakur, who has been associated with cricket as an administrator, also suggested using former defence personnel, who had excelled in sports, to train sportpersons.
More needs to be done for sports
Thokchom Meinya (Congress) from Manipur welcomed the establishment of the National Sports University in his state and said the new varsity was expected to breach the void in the area.
Jithender Reddy (TRS) said from 1928-1980, India got only eight medals and all were in hockey. He also claimed the funds allocated to the sports federations are not properly used.
Prasun Banerjee (Trinamool Congress) said that sports education should be made compulsory from school. Mr. Banerjee, a former captain of the famous Mohan Bagan football club, also demanded that a sports university be established in West Bengal.
“If necessary, slash funds from election expenses and spend the money on sports as our sportspersons cannot win the World Cup if they don’t get sufficint infrastructure,” he said.
Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo (BJD) said the eastern part of India has been neglected by the government. Demanding a major hike in the sports budget, he said while India’s sports budget was Rs 2,000 crore, UK’s sports budget was Rs 9,000 crore and USA’s stood at Rs 12,000 crore.
He claimed that even the Doordarshan only focused on two or three sports and and “neglected” others, while demanding that advertisement space should be given to all of them.
M.B. Rajesh (CPI-M) pointed out that China had established sports university in 1993 and currently it has 20 top class sports universities. “So we are 25 years behind China.”
In a lighter vein, Mr. Rajesh said Croatia’s population was 40 lakh, “which is equal to the number of people whose name is not in Assam’s NRC.”
“But Croatia has produced legendary football players and we failed to do that,” the CPI(M) member said.
Dhananjay Mahadik (NCP) said that our country should also have infrastructure for car racing. “Corporate Social Resonsibility (CSR) money and Members of Parliament Local Area Develoment Scheme (MPLAD) funds should also be allowed to be used to creating sports infrastucture,” Mahadik said.
Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu (TDP) expressed hope that more sports universities will come up in the country in the near future. He also demanded that the government should formulate New Sports Policy as previous one was formulated in 2001. (Source: The Hindu)


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Lok Sabha passes Bill to set-up sports varsity in Manipur.

Lok Sabha passes amendment bill to give OBC commission Constitution status - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Lok Sabha passes amendment bill to give OBC commission Constitution status.

The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill, 2017 passed in Lok Sabha. The bill grants National Commission on Backward Classes (NCBC) constitutional status, par with National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (NCSC and NCST).

The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed an amendment bill to give constitutional status to the OBC Commission. The Constitution (123rd Amendment) bill, passed by the Lower House, grants National Commission on Backward Classes (NCBC) constitutional status, par with National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (NCSC and NCST).
Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot moved for passage of an amendment to the bill that was returned to the Lower house by the Rajya Sabha last year with some changes.
The official amendment moved by Gehlot sought to negate the amendments made by the Upper House when it passed the bill on July 31, 2017. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on April 10, 2017.
Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha had moved an amendment to clause 3 of the bill seeking to provide for appointment of all the five members of the Commission from the OBC community, including a woman and a person from the minority community.


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Lok Sabha passes amendment bill to give OBC commission Constitution status.

Cabinet Approves Bill to Overturn Supreme Court Order on SC/ST Act, Reinstate Stringent Provisions - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Cabinet Approves Bill to Overturn Supreme Court Order on SC/ST Act, Reinstate Stringent Provisions.

The government will now bring the bill to restore the original provisions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act will in Parliament, the report said.

The Union Cabinet today gave its nod to a bill to restore the original provisions of a law on atrocities against Dalits and tribals, acceding to a key demand of Dalit groups ahead of their call for a 'Bharat Bandh' on August 9, a top government source told PTI.
The government will now bring the bill to restore the original provisions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act will in Parliament, the report said.
The Supreme Court in a ruling in March had introduced safeguards which, Dalit leaders and organisations said, diluted the Act and rendered it toothless.
BJP ally and Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan had led the call to bring a new law to overturn the court order. Several ruling party MPs belonging to Dalit and tribal communities had also backed the demand.
Demands for a strong Dalit atrocity law in Parliament
BJP MP and Dalit leader Savitri Bai Phule today demanded a debate in Parliament to strengthen the SC/ST Act which, she said, has been made "ineffectual" by the Supreme Court judgement and asserted that only a pro-Dalit party will form the next government at the centre.
Phule, who has been critical of her own party over incidents of atrocities against the Dalits, presented a 15 point charter of demands at a press meet here, and appealed for withdrawal of cases against Dalits who were arrested during a country-wide protest on April 2 after the Supreme Court order on the SC/ST Act.
The order of the Apex Court on March 20 had put safeguards on the provisions for immediate arrest of a person accused of insulting a SC/ST member or misusing the Act, triggering a country-wide protest.
Phule said despite giving notice in Lok Sabha, the House has failed to take up discussion on the matter, and called upon Dalit MPs to unite on the issue and raise the matter in Parliament. She represents the Bahraich Lok Sabha reserved constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
Asked if she was unhappy with the Modi government over its handling of the Dalit issues, Phule remained evasive, but said that as a "responsible" Dalit leader, it was her duty to highlight issues of atrocities in the country before the government.
"Today atrocities are being committed across the country against the SC/ST, OBC and Dalits. Our responsibility is to apprise the government and ask why it is failing to stop such incidents," she said.
Phule said "only a party which will work for the Dalits will form the next government at the centre" when asked if the Opposition parties move to project Mayawati as a prime ministerial candidate will hamper the prospects of the ruling dispensation.
She demanded the government immediately implement reservation in promotions for SC and ST employees after the Apex Court judgment on the matter and placed in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. Besides, provisions of reservation should be made in the private sector, she added.
The lawmaker stressed on holding an ethnic-based census in the country to identify those groups and communities that are still deprived of education and exercising their political rights.


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Cabinet Approves Bill to Overturn Supreme Court Order on SC/ST Act, Reinstate Stringent Provisions.

Parliament passes bill for merger of subsidiary banks with SBI - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Parliament passes bill for merger of subsidiary banks with SBI.

The Parliament has passed the State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017 with the Lok Sabha approving the amendments sent by the Rajya Sabha.

The Upper house had earlier passed the bill with amendments.
The Bill seeks to repeal the State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act, 1959, the State Bank of Hyderabad Act, 1956 and further to amend the State Bank of India Act, 1955.
Under it, the five associates banks that were merged are State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Travancore. The merger of these banks is already in effect from 1st April, last year. (Source: News on Air)


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Parliament passes bill for merger of subsidiary banks with SBI.

Lok Sabha passes Trafficking of Persons Bill, 2018 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Lok Sabha passes Trafficking of Persons Bill, 2018.

The Lok Sabha has passed the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill 2018 which provides for the prevention, rescue, and rehabilitation of trafficked persons and seeks to establish a National Anti-Trafficking Bureau to investigate trafficking cases.

It also provides for the setting up of Anti-Trafficking Units (ATUs) at the district level which will deal with the investigation, prevention, rescue, and protection of victims and witnesses.
Replying to a debate on the Bill, Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi said, the bill has a compassionate view and it is victim-centric. She said, States, NGOs were consulted during drafting of the bill.
Earlier, moving the Bill, Ms Gandhi had said, the crime of trafficking is organised and the invisible and current mechanism has failed to hit the root of such crimes. Describing human trafficking as gruesome and shameful, the Minister said, the Bill has provisions which make relief and rescue of victims as a matter of their rights.
She said under the Bill buying and selling of human beings have been made cognizable offence for the first time and it will hit the organised manner of trafficking.
Initiating the debate, Shashi Tharoor of Congress criticised the Bill saying it has been framed by bureaucrats and victims of trafficking are the lowest priority in this legislation. He said, Bill should have had provisions for more safeguards to poor and vulnerable women. (Source: News on Air)


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Lok Sabha passes Trafficking of Persons Bill, 2018.

Loksabha passes Fugitive offenders Bill - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Loksabha passes Fugitive offenders Bill.

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, which will now replace the Ordinance by the same name promulgated by the President in April.

“In so many years, we saw that there is a law [to tackle fugitive economic offenders], but the time taken to carry out the due process showed us that there is a need for strict and speedy procedures,” Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said while responding to the Opposition’s objections to the Bill.
“It was necessary to bring this legislation as an ordinance to ensure that this process was not halted, and we show that we are strict about this issue.”
The Bill empowers special courts to direct the Central government to confiscate all the assets belonging to a fugitive economic offender, including those assets that are proceeds of the crime and that do not belong to the offender. The legislation gains importance against the background of high-profile cases where individuals such as Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi escaped the country.(Source: The Hindu)


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Loksabha passes Fugitive offenders Bill.

Cabinet approves DNA Technology Regulation Bill, 2018 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Cabinet approves DNA Technology Regulation Bill, 2018.

Cabinet has approved DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018. The primary intended purpose of the Bill is for expanding application of DNA based forensic technologies to support and strengthen the justice delivery system of the country. By providing for the mandatory accreditation and regulation of DNA laboratories, the Bill seeks to ensure that the proposed expanded use of this technology in the country.
There is also the assurance that the DNA test results are reliable and the data remains protected. The Bill's provision will enable cross matching between persons who have been reported missing and unidentified dead bodies found in various parts of the country.
Cabinet has also approved umbrella schemes for Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants and Repatriates. Cabinet has given its approval for continuation of eight existing schemes of Home Ministry up to March 2020 for relief and rehabilitation of migrants and repatriates. The financial implication for this purpose is 3183 crore rupees for the perios 2017-18 to 2019-20 (Source: News on Air)


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Cabinet approves DNA Technology Regulation Bill, 2018.

US Senate passes bill that seeks to enhance defence partnership with India - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

US Senate passes bill that seeks to enhance defence partnership with India.

The $716 billion National Defence Authorisation Act was passed by an overwhelming majority of 85-10.

The United States Senate on Tuesday passed a $716 billion (Rs 48 lakh crore) defence bill which, among other things, seeks to strengthen Washington’s defence partnership with New Delhi. The US designated India as a “Major Defense Partner” in 2016, which permits India to buy advanced and sensitive technologies from Washington.
The US Senate passed the National Defence Authorisation Act, 2019, with an overwhelming majority of 85-10. “This legislation continues our reform agenda and helps better position the Department of Defense and the joint force to implement the National Defense Strategy by continuing to restore readiness, rebuild capacity and modernise capabilities,” Senate Armed Services Committee Chairperson John McCain said.
The bill “expresses the sense of the Senate that the US should strengthen and enhance its major defence partnership with India”. It also proposes sanctions for Turkey, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, if the country buys the S-400 air defence system from Russia. This is significant as New Delhi and Moscow concludednegotiations in May for the air defence system, despite Washington’s opposition.
The bill also reimposes penalties on Chinese telecom giant ZTE, which the Donald Trump administration had lifted. The company’s operations had taken a hit earlier this year after Washington banned US firms from selling to ZTE, due to its alleged dealings with Iran and North Korea, CNBC reported.
The reintroduction of penalties is likely to lead to a clash between hardliners in the Republican Party and the Trump administration, The Washington Post reported.
However, the bill still has a long way to go to become a legislation. The US House of Representatives has already passed a different version of the bill. The proposed legislation will now be discussed in a conference of the Senate and House. If a single version is then agreed on, the Senate and the House will again vote separately on the bill, before it is passed to President Donald Trump for his assent.


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US Senate passes bill that seeks to enhance defence partnership with India.