UPSC Daily Current Affairs- April 23, 2022 PDF Download

GS-II

Context

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition highlighting the need for the government to frame guidelines for compensating victims of wrongful prosecution by the police or authorities.

The petition says

• Innocents fall victims to malice of authorities who use criminal justice system to settle scores. 
• India, with a population of around 1.5 billion, has no effective statutory/legal mechanism for the wrongful prosecutions due to police and prosecutorial misconduct resulting in a pandemic of false cases which has not only destroyed the social fabric of the nation but also affected the overburdened judiciary with alarming pendency of over 40 million cases. 
• The government has not yet implemented the recommendations made by the Law Commission of India in its 277th report on the miscarriage of justice in 2018. 
  • The commission had prepared the report on the basis of a Delhi High Court order in the Babloo Chauhan case in November 2017 to undertake a “comprehensive examination of issue of relief and rehabilitation to victims of wrongful prosecution and incarceration”.

Context

Chief Election Commissioner, during a recent visit to South Africa and Mauritius, urged Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to register as overseas electors and told them that a proposal on postal ballots for NRIs was being contemplated by the Election Commission of India.

Why in news now?

• CECs interactions with NRIs came after Union Law Minister informed the Lok Sabha in March that the government was exploring the possibility of allowing online voting for NRIs. 
• The ECI had written to the Law Ministry in 2020 proposing that NRIs be allowed to vote through postal ballots, following which the matter has been under consideration by the government. 
• The ECI at present allows NRIs to register as overseas electors as long as they have not acquired the citizenship of another country. 
• They have to reach their respective polling booths to cast their votes in person on voting day.

Classification of Overseas Indians

Overseas Indians, officially known as Non-resident Indians (NRIs) or Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), are people of Indian birth, descent or origin who live outside the Republic of India:

• Non-Resident Indian (NRI)
  • Strictly asserting non-resident refers only to the tax status of a person who, as per section 6 of the Income-tax Act of 1961, has not resided in India for a specified period for the purposes of the Act.
  • The rates of income tax are different for persons who are “resident in India” and for NRIs.
• Person of Indian Origin (PIO) 
  • Person of Indian Origin (PIO) means a foreign citizen (except a national of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Iran, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and/or Nepal), who: 
    • at any time held an Indian passport OR 
    • either of their parents/grandparents/great-grandparents were born and permanently resident in India as defined in GoI Act, 1935 and other territories that became part of India thereafter provided neither was at any time a citizen of any of the aforesaid countries OR 
    • is a spouse of a citizen of India or a PIO.
• Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) 
  • After multiple efforts by leaders across the Indian political spectrum, a pseudo-citizenship scheme was established, the “Overseas Citizenship of India”, commonly referred to as the OCI card. 
  • The Constitution of India does not permit full dual citizenship. 
  • The OCI card is effectively a long-term visa, with restrictions on voting rights and government jobs.

Context

India has extended the duration of a $400 million currency swap facility with Sri Lanka which it had concluded with the island nation in January this year.

What are Currency Swaps?

• A currency swap, also known as a cross-currency swap, is an off-balance sheet transaction in which two parties exchange principal and interest in different currencies. 
• Currency swaps are used to obtain foreign currency loans at a better interest rate than could be got by borrowing directly in a foreign market.

How does it work?

• In a swap arrangement, RBI would provide dollars to a Lankan central bank, which, at the same time, provides the equivalent funds in its currency to the RBI, based on the market exchange rate at the time of the transaction. 
• The parties agree to swap back these quantities of their two currencies at a specified date in the future, which could be the next day or even three months later, using the same exchange rate as in the first transaction. 
• These swap operations carry no exchange rate or other market risks, as transaction terms are set in advance.

Why does one need dollars?

• FPIs investors look for safer investments but the current global uncertainty over COVID outbreak has led to a shortfall everywhere in the global markets. 
• This has pulled down foreign exchange reserves of many small and developing countries. 
• This means that the government and the RBI cannot lower their guard on the management of the economy and the external account.

Benefits of currency swap

• The absence of an exchange rate risk is the major benefit of such a facility. 
• This facility provides the flexibility to use these reserves at any time in order to maintain an appropriate level of balance of payments or short-term liquidity. 
• Swaps agreements between governments also have supplementary objectives like the promotion of bilateral trade, maintaining the value of foreign exchange reserves with the central bank and ensuring financial stability (protecting the health of the banking system).

Context

The government has appointed Suman K. Bery as the vice-chairman of the NITI Aayog following the resignation of Rajiv Kumar.

What is NITI Aayog?

• The NITI Aayog serves as the apex public policy think tank of the GoI. 
• It was established in 2015, by the NDA government, to replace the Planning Commission which followed a top-down model. 
• It advises both the centre and states on social and economic issues. 
• It is neither a constitutional body nor a statutory body but the outcome of an executive resolution. It was not created by the act of parliament.

Aims, Agenda, and Objectives of NITI Aayog

The purpose with which NITI Aayog was formed in place of the Planning Commission was a far-sighted vision. It was important to boost the development of India in the emerging global scenario. The objectives are: 

• To generate a platform for national development, sectors and strategies with the collaboration of states and centre. 
• To boost the factor of cooperative federalism between the centre and the states. For national development, it is necessary for both wings to work in synergy. 
• To develop such mechanisms which work at the ground root level for progressive growth. A nation develops when its regions and states develop. 
• To work on long term policies and strategies for long-term development. To set up a system for monitoring progress so that it can be used for analysing and improving methods. 
• To provide a platform for resolving inter-departmental issues amicably. 
• To make it a platform where the programmes, strategies, and schemes can be monitored on a day to day basis, and it could be understood which sector needs more resources to develop. 
• To upgrade technological advancements in such a manner that focus can be made on iNITIatives and programmes. 
• To ensure India’s level and ranking at the worldwide level and to make India an actively participating nation. 
• To progress from food security towards nutrition and standardised meals and focus on agricultural production. 
• To make use of more technology to avoid misadventures and corruption in governance. 
• To make the working system more transparent and accountable.

NITI Aayog – Seven Pillars of Effective Governance

• NITI Aayog works on principles like Antyodaya (upliftment of poor), inclusion (to include all sections under one head), people participation, and so on. 
• NITI Aayog is a body that follows seven pillars of governance. They are: 
  • To look after pro-people agenda so that the aspirations and desires of no one are compromised. 
  • To respond and work on the needs of citizens. Make citizens of the nation involve and participate in various streams. 
  • To empower women in all fields, be it social, technical, economic, or other. 
  • To include all sects and classes under one head. 
  • To give special attention to marginalised and minority groups. 
  • To provide equal opportunity for the young generation. 
  • To make the working of government more accountable and transparent. It will ensure less chance of corruption and malpractices.

GS-III

Context

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) Prime and the sixth Defence India Start–up Challenge (DISC–6) meant to encourage defence start–ups during DefConnect 2.0.

About

• Aims to support projects, requiring support beyond Rs 1.5 crore up to Rs 10 crore, to help ever-growing start-ups in the defence sector.
• iDEX has, so far, introduced more than 100 winners to the market, providing direct & indirect employment to thousands of skilled and semi–skilled people.
• Stressed on continuous strengthening of all sectors, especially the security apparatus, to deal with the challenges that may emanate from the fast–changing world order.

Context

In the backdrop of the rapid geopolitical turmoil, PM Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson agreed on a new and expanded India-UK defence partnership and vowed to seal an ambitious free trade agreement by the end of the year.

What is the news?

• The UK is creating an Open General Export Licence (OGEL) for India to reduce bureaucracy and slashing delivery times for defence procurement. 
• It will partner with India on new fighter jet technology as well as in the maritime sphere to detect and respond to threats.

What is OGEL?

• The open General Licence is a type of license that is used for the export license that is issued by the government for domestic suppliers. 
• The items that are to be exported in India are categorised into three types. They are prohibited items, restricted items, and freely importable items. These classifications are made based on the nature and use of the products. 
• The application processing and grant of OEGL will be taken care of by the Department of Defence Production. The process will vary for each case. 
• The primary aim of the OEGL is to give a boost to the defence exports of India. This will also improve the ease of doing business and imports and exports. 
• The countries allowed under the OGELs are: Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Poland and Mexico.

Items to be exported

• The items permitted under OGEL includes components of ammunition & fuse setting device without energetic and explosive material; firing control & related alerting and warning equipment & related system; and body protective items. 
• Complete aircraft or complete unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and any components specially designed or modified for UAVs are excluded under this license.

Context

Tourists or migrants to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with Indian bank accounts will be able to make UPI payments at shops, retail establishments and other merchants in the gulf nation.

What is UPI?

• Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is an instant real-time payment system developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) facilitating inter-bank transactions. 
• The interface is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and works by instantly transferring funds between two bank accounts on a mobile platform.

How does the service work?

• The NPCI and UAE’s Mashreq Bank’s NEOPAY have partnered for this service.
• It will be mandatory for users to have a bank account in India with UPI enabled on it. 
• The users will also need an application, like BHIM, to make UPI payments.

Will UPI be accepted everywhere in the UAE?

• Payments using UPI will only be accepted at those merchants and shops which have NEOPAY terminals.

Does NPCI have other such international arrangements?

• NPCI’s international arm NIPL have several such arrangements with international financial services providers for its products, including UPI and RuPay cards. 
• Globally, UPI is accepted in Bhutan and Nepal, and is likely to go live in Singapore later this year. 
• In Singapore, a project to link UPI with the city-state’s instant payment system PayNow is being undertaken by the RBI and the Monetary Authority of Singapore. 
• The linkage is targeted for operationalization by July this year.

Context

Environmentalists and activists are criticizing the Telangana government for withdrawing an over 25-year-old government order (GO) 111 protecting the historic Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs in Hyderabad, which they say will destroy the fragile surrounding ecosystem.

What was the government order that protected the two lakes?

• On 8th March, 1996, the government of erstwhile (undivided) Andhra Pradesh had issued GO 111 prohibiting development or construction works in the catchment area of the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar lakes up to a radius of 10 km. 
• The GO prohibited the setting up of industries, residential colonies, hotels, etc. which cause pollution. 
• The aim of the restrictions was to protect the catchment area, and to keep the reservoirs pollution-free. 
  • The lakes had been supplying water to Hyderabad for nearly 70 years and were the main source of drinking water for the city at the time.

When and why were these reservoirs constructed?

• The reservoirs were created by building dams on the Musi (also known as Moosa or Muchkunda) river, a major tributary of the Krishna, to protect Hyderabad from floods. 
• The proposal to build the dams came after a major flood during the reign of the sixth nizam Mahbub Ali Khan (1869-1911) in 1908, in which more than 15,000 people were killed. 
• The lakes came into being during the reign of the last nizam, Osman Ali Khan (1911-48). Osman Sagar was completed in 1921, and Himayat Sagar in 1927. The nizam’s guesthouse at Osman Sagar is now a heritage building.

Why has the government withdrawn GO 111?

• The city no longer depends on these two reservoirs for water supply, and there was no need to continue with the restrictions on development in the catchment radius. 
• Hyderabad’s drinking water requirement has increased to more than 600 Million Gallons per Day (MGD), which is being drawn from other sources including the Krishna river.

What are environmentalists and activists saying?

• They are still an important water source for the city. 
• A huge concrete jungle will come up around them. It seems the powerful real estate lobby put a lot of pressure. 
• There are already over 10,000 illegal constructions around the two lakes. 
• The reservoirs, located in the southwest direction of the city, also provide quality wind during the southwest monsoon. Any kind of pollution in those areas would affect the wind quality. 
• The Murugavani National Park between the twin reservoirs and the entire area acts as a heat absorption unit for the city and if that is allowed to get concretized, the city would become a furnace.