Capping of cash donations to Political Parties
GS Paper 2: Constitutional, Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies
Important for
Prelims exam: Powers, functions and responsibilities of Election commission(EC)
Mains exam: Reform in electoral system of India
Why in news
The Chief Election Commissioner(CEC) has written a letter to the Ministry of Law and Justice to cap the cash donations to political parties.
The proposals are aimed at bringing reforms and transparency in donations received by political parties and also the expenditure incurred by candidates.
What are the suggestions?
- The Election Commission(EC) has proposed bringing down anonymous political donations from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2,000 to cleanse election funding of black money.
- According to the proposal, political parties are not required to report the cash received below Rs 2000.
- CEC proposed to cap cash donation at 20% or at rupees 20 crore whichever is lower.
- Another key reform proposed by EC is legal backing for its instructions requiring candidates to maintain a separate bank account for election expenses, by amending Rule 89 of Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.
- Candidates should route all expenses and receipts through this account and furnish these details in their account of election expenditure.
- Currently, maintaining a separate bank account for poll expenditure is part of instructions, but the poll panel wants it to become part of Conduct of Election Rules.
- The EC has also sought reforms to ensure that foreign donations do not reach political parties through the backdoor, in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010.
- The EC has asked the government to correct the anomaly which exist between Income Tax Act and Representation of the People Act, 1951 regarding the upper limit on anonymous cash donations, by amending Section 29C of the RP Act
- While Section 13A of Income Tax Act, as amended in 2017, states that no cash donation exceeding Rs 2,000 shall be received by a political party.
- Section 29C of R P Act requires political parties to only declare details of donations made by cheque or any other banking route in excess of Rs 20,000.
Current rules regarding political donations
- Section 29-C of the RP Act makes it mandatory for the political parties to submit to the Election Commission a list of donations received over Rs. 20,000.
- If a political party fails to submit a report, then it shall not be entitled to any tax relief under that Act.
Election Commission of India
Structure of ECI
|
INSPIRE Awards – MANAK
GS Paper 2: Government policies and Interventions
Important for
Prelims exam: INSPIRE Scheme
Why in news
The Union Ministry for Science and Technology presented INSPIRE awards to 60 Indian startups.
About MANAK Awards
- The INSPIRE Awards – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge), is executed by DST with National Innovation Foundation India (NIF), an autonomous body of DST.
- It aims to motivate students in the age group of 10-15 years and studying in classes 6 to 10.
- The objective of the scheme is to target one million original ideas/innovations rooted in science and societal applications to foster a culture of creativity and innovative thinking among school children.
- Under this scheme, schools can nominate 5 best original ideas/innovations of students through this website till 30th September,2022.
INSPIRE Programme
“Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)” is an innovative programme sponsored and managed by the Department of Science & Technology for attraction of talent to Science.
Objective of the Programme
- The basic objective of INSPIRE is to communicate to the youth of the country the excitement of creative pursuit of science, attract talent to the study of science at an early age and thus build the required critical human resource pool for strengthening and expanding the Science & Technology system and R&D base.
- A striking feature of the programme is that it does not believe in conducting competitive exams for identification of talent at any level. It believes in and relies on the efficacy of the existing educational structure for identification of talent.
Future of diesel cars in India
GS Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental pollution and degradation, Changes in industrial policy
Important for
Prelims exam: BS VI, FAME Scheme
Mains exam: Impact of environment policies on Manufacturing industry
Why in news
Honda may soon discontinue diesel model cars in India. With a stricter regime and increased focus on clean and sustainable mobility, the company is evaluating the viability of diesel cars in India.
Why the diesel car manufacture leaving the market
- Diesel car manufacturers are facing the issue related to clearances, for example It’s very hard to clear RDE with the diesel.
- RDE or Real Driving Emissions test measures the pollutants, such as NOx, emitted by cars while driven on the road. RDE ensures that cars deliver low emissions over on-road conditions.
- In recent times, diesel cars are seeing a decline in popularity because there is a shift towards greener options.
- Friendly policies are being introduced for electric vehicles which hampered the overall sale of the diesel cars
Reason behind stricter rules for diesel cars
- Emissions from diesel engines impact the environment. It contributes to the production of ground-level ozone which damages crops, trees and other vegetation.
- Diesel can be more polluting than gasoline. Its pollutants include nitrogen oxides, which is a content of acid rain.
- It is also responsible for the pollution of air, water, and soil; soiling and global climate change.
- Diesel emissions also have an impact on health. It contributes to the development of cancer; cardiovascular and respiratory health effects.
- In 2012, the World Health Organization’s cancer research agency classified diesel engine exhaust as cancer-causing.
BS VI Standard
|
Focus on Electric Vehicle
The Governments around the world aiding the electric vehicle manufactures with a lot of new initiatives and decisions.
Steps taken by India:
- In order to promote electric vehicles, the Government has notified for retro-fitment of hybrid electric system or electric kit to vehicles and has specified the type approval procedure of electric hybrid vehicles.
- For the promotion of electric mobility in the country, the Government had launched FAME India Scheme (Faster Adoption of Electric (& Hybrid) Vehicles in India) in 2015(Phase I). All electric & hybrid vehicles, including public transport, registered under the scheme are being incentivized under the Demand Creation focus area of this scheme.
- Government has approved Phase-II of FAME Scheme with an outlay of Rs. 10,000 Crore for a period of 3 years commencing from 1st April 2019.
- Ministry of Power has issued a policy on charging infrastructure and has issued a notification clarifying that charging electric vehicles will be a service, not a sale of electricity.
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has commercialized indigenously developed lithium ion battery technology and has selected 14 companies for transfer of technology.
- Government is planning to install new electric roads.
- The Ministry of Power in January 2022, issued the revised consolidated Guidelines & Standards for charging infrastructure. It provides an affordable tariff chargeable by public EV charging station operators and owners and Electric Vehicle (EV) owners.
Term in news
Black swan event
What is a ‘black swan’ event?
A black swan is a rare, unpredictable event that comes as a surprise and has a significant impact on society or the world.
- These events are said to have three distinguishing characteristics:
- They are extremely rare and outside the realm of regular expectations
- They have a severe impact after they hit
- They seem probable in hindsight when plausible explanations appear.
Origin of the term
- The black swan theory was put forward by author and investor Nassim Nicholas Taleb in 2001, and later popularised in his 2007 book- The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable.
- The term itself is linked to the discovery of black swans. Europeans believed all swans to be white until 1697, when a Dutch explorer spotted the first black swan in Australia.
- The metaphor ‘black swan event’ is derived from this unprecedented spotting from the 17th century, and how it upended the West’s understanding of swans.
Examples of Black swan event in History
Taleb’s book predated the 2008 global financial crisis, a black swan event triggered by a sudden crash in the booming housing market in the US. The fall of the Soviet Union, the terrorist attack in the US on September 11, 2001, also fall in the same category.
Capping of cash donations to Political Parties
GS Paper 2: Constitutional, Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies
Important for
Prelims exam: Powers, functions and responsibilities of Election commission(EC)
Mains exam: Reform in electoral system of India
Why in news
The Chief Election Commissioner(CEC) has written a letter to the Ministry of Law and Justice to cap the cash donations to political parties.
The proposals are aimed at bringing reforms and transparency in donations received by political parties and also the expenditure incurred by candidates.
What are the suggestions?
- The Election Commission(EC) has proposed bringing down anonymous political donations from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2,000 to cleanse election funding of black money.
- According to the proposal, political parties are not required to report the cash received below Rs 2000.
- CEC proposed to cap cash donation at 20% or at rupees 20 crore whichever is lower.
- Another key reform proposed by EC is legal backing for its instructions requiring candidates to maintain a separate bank account for election expenses, by amending Rule 89 of Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.
- Candidates should route all expenses and receipts through this account and furnish these details in their account of election expenditure.
- Currently, maintaining a separate bank account for poll expenditure is part of instructions, but the poll panel wants it to become part of Conduct of Election Rules.
- The EC has also sought reforms to ensure that foreign donations do not reach political parties through the backdoor, in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010.
- The EC has asked the government to correct the anomaly which exist between Income Tax Act and Representation of the People Act, 1951 regarding the upper limit on anonymous cash donations, by amending Section 29C of the RP Act
- While Section 13A of Income Tax Act, as amended in 2017, states that no cash donation exceeding Rs 2,000 shall be received by a political party.
- Section 29C of R P Act requires political parties to only declare details of donations made by cheque or any other banking route in excess of Rs 20,000.
Current rules regarding political donations
- Section 29-C of the RP Act makes it mandatory for the political parties to submit to the Election Commission a list of donations received over Rs. 20,000.
- If a political party fails to submit a report, then it shall not be entitled to any tax relief under that Act.
Election Commission of India
Structure of ECI
|
INSPIRE Awards – MANAK
GS Paper 2: Government policies and Interventions
Important for
Prelims exam: INSPIRE Scheme
Why in news
The Union Ministry for Science and Technology presented INSPIRE awards to 60 Indian startups.
About MANAK Awards
- The INSPIRE Awards – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge), is executed by DST with National Innovation Foundation India (NIF), an autonomous body of DST.
- It aims to motivate students in the age group of 10-15 years and studying in classes 6 to 10.
- The objective of the scheme is to target one million original ideas/innovations rooted in science and societal applications to foster a culture of creativity and innovative thinking among school children.
- Under this scheme, schools can nominate 5 best original ideas/innovations of students through this website till 30th September,2022.
INSPIRE Programme
“Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)” is an innovative programme sponsored and managed by the Department of Science & Technology for attraction of talent to Science.
Objective of the Programme
- The basic objective of INSPIRE is to communicate to the youth of the country the excitement of creative pursuit of science, attract talent to the study of science at an early age and thus build the required critical human resource pool for strengthening and expanding the Science & Technology system and R&D base.
- A striking feature of the programme is that it does not believe in conducting competitive exams for identification of talent at any level. It believes in and relies on the efficacy of the existing educational structure for identification of talent.
Future of diesel cars in India
GS Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental pollution and degradation, Changes in industrial policy
Important for
Prelims exam: BS VI, FAME Scheme
Mains exam: Impact of environment policies on Manufacturing industry
Why in news
Honda may soon discontinue diesel model cars in India. With a stricter regime and increased focus on clean and sustainable mobility, the company is evaluating the viability of diesel cars in India.
Why the diesel car manufacture leaving the market
- Diesel car manufacturers are facing the issue related to clearances, for example It’s very hard to clear RDE with the diesel.
- RDE or Real Driving Emissions test measures the pollutants, such as NOx, emitted by cars while driven on the road. RDE ensures that cars deliver low emissions over on-road conditions.
- In recent times, diesel cars are seeing a decline in popularity because there is a shift towards greener options.
- Friendly policies are being introduced for electric vehicles which hampered the overall sale of the diesel cars
Reason behind stricter rules for diesel cars
- Emissions from diesel engines impact the environment. It contributes to the production of ground-level ozone which damages crops, trees and other vegetation.
- Diesel can be more polluting than gasoline. Its pollutants include nitrogen oxides, which is a content of acid rain.
- It is also responsible for the pollution of air, water, and soil; soiling and global climate change.
- Diesel emissions also have an impact on health. It contributes to the development of cancer; cardiovascular and respiratory health effects.
- In 2012, the World Health Organization’s cancer research agency classified diesel engine exhaust as cancer-causing.
BS VI Standard
|
Focus on Electric Vehicle
The Governments around the world aiding the electric vehicle manufactures with a lot of new initiatives and decisions.
Steps taken by India:
- In order to promote electric vehicles, the Government has notified for retro-fitment of hybrid electric system or electric kit to vehicles and has specified the type approval procedure of electric hybrid vehicles.
- For the promotion of electric mobility in the country, the Government had launched FAME India Scheme (Faster Adoption of Electric (& Hybrid) Vehicles in India) in 2015(Phase I). All electric & hybrid vehicles, including public transport, registered under the scheme are being incentivized under the Demand Creation focus area of this scheme.
- Government has approved Phase-II of FAME Scheme with an outlay of Rs. 10,000 Crore for a period of 3 years commencing from 1st April 2019.
- Ministry of Power has issued a policy on charging infrastructure and has issued a notification clarifying that charging electric vehicles will be a service, not a sale of electricity.
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has commercialized indigenously developed lithium ion battery technology and has selected 14 companies for transfer of technology.
- Government is planning to install new electric roads.
- The Ministry of Power in January 2022, issued the revised consolidated Guidelines & Standards for charging infrastructure. It provides an affordable tariff chargeable by public EV charging station operators and owners and Electric Vehicle (EV) owners.
Term in news
Black swan event
What is a ‘black swan’ event?
A black swan is a rare, unpredictable event that comes as a surprise and has a significant impact on society or the world.
- These events are said to have three distinguishing characteristics:
- They are extremely rare and outside the realm of regular expectations
- They have a severe impact after they hit
- They seem probable in hindsight when plausible explanations appear.
Origin of the term
- The black swan theory was put forward by author and investor Nassim Nicholas Taleb in 2001, and later popularised in his 2007 book- The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable.
- The term itself is linked to the discovery of black swans. Europeans believed all swans to be white until 1697, when a Dutch explorer spotted the first black swan in Australia.
- The metaphor ‘black swan event’ is derived from this unprecedented spotting from the 17th century, and how it upended the West’s understanding of swans.
Examples of Black swan event in History
Taleb’s book predated the 2008 global financial crisis, a black swan event triggered by a sudden crash in the booming housing market in the US. The fall of the Soviet Union, the terrorist attack in the US on September 11, 2001, also fall in the same category.