GS PAPER – I

Activists raise concerns over legal loophole pertaining to sexual assault of animals

Why in news?

• Animal rights activists across India have expressed their concern at the absence of any provision to address sexual crimes against animals in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 Bill that seeks to repeal the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860. While the 2018 judgment removing portions of Section 377 of the IPC decriminalised sex between consenting same-gender adults, it did not address the question of bestiality.

Current provisions

• Currently, Section 377 of the IPC provides for punishment of those found engaging in bestiality. It states, “Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.”

Recent Incidents

• In the recent past, there have been several reported incidents of sexual abuse of animals. In March this year, a man was booked under Section 377 and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, for sexually abusing a female dog in central Delhi’s Inderpuri.
• In February, another incident of a man raping a dog at a park in Hari Nagar in Delhi, was reported widely in the media.

Issues in the proposed bill

• The proposed Bill’s weakness lies in the complete elimination of Section 377 without addressing sexual crimes against animals and provisions for animal victims of crime.
• There is no doubt that Section 377 needs to go in its entirety, as it is based on Victorian-era British colonial morality. However, the new BNS Bill has been introduced in a roughshod manner.

 

GS PAPER – III

Govt. limits wheat stocks to control price rise, hoarding

Why in news?

• Sensing an upward movement in wheat prices and fearing hoarding ahead of the festive season, the Union government has decided to reduce the stock limits of wheat for traders, wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers and processors in all States and Union Territories.

About the move

• The revised stock limit is 2,000 Metric Tonne (MT) which had been 3,000 MT so far.
• The government has asked all wheat-stocking entities to register on the wheat stock limit portal and update the stock position every Friday.
• Any entity which is found to have not registered on the portal or violates the stock limits will be subject to suitable punitive action under Section 6 & 7 of Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
• It added that in case the stocks are at present higher than the prescribed limit, the sellers should bring it down within next 30 days.
• Officials of Central and State Governments will be closely monitoring enforcement of these stock limits to ensure that no artificial scarcity of wheat is created in the country.

Reasons for the move

• Some people are holding wheat more than what they need, and creating artificial scarcity in the country, with prices going up.

Expected benefits

• Currently, wheat prices at retail level are ruling stable at ₹30 per kilogram, on an average. There is anticipation that with this uptick in the NCDEX prices, there may be a reflection of these prices in the retail market.
• There will not be any sharp increase in the prices of foodgrains, sugar, and edible oil and the Centre has adequate stocks of essential items. Further, the government is keeping a close vigil on hoarders.
• Sugar prices are stable but rumours of likely shortage due to weak monsoon in August has resulted in an increase in prices in some areas.
• The Centre expects bumper production of rice in this kharif season and sugarcane production will also be good in States like Karnataka and Maharashtra.

 

GS PAPER – III

All reported births, deaths to be digitally registered from Oct. 1

Why in news?

• All reported births and deaths in the country will be digitally registered on the Centre’s portal from October 1, according to a government notification.

The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023

• The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023 that paves the way for digital birth certificates will come into effect from October 1.
• The digital birth certificates will be a single document to be used for admission to educational institutions, applications for driving licence, government jobs, passports or Aadhaar, voter enrolment, and registration of marriage, and others.
• The centralised database will also update the National Population Register (NPR), ration cards, property registration, and electoral rolls.They will be registered on the Centre’s portal.
• The amended law paves way for use of birth certificate as single document for various services.

Aadhaar Issue

• The Act authorises the government to “collect Aadhaar numbers of parents and informant, if available, in case of birth registration”.
• Currently, a parent voluntarily provides Aadhaar number for a newborn’s birth certificate generated through the CRS.
• As on March 31, Aadhaar has a saturation of 93% for a projected population of 138.72 crore.

NPR and Data Sharing

• The NPR, first compiled in 2010 and updated in 2015 through door-to-door enumeration, already has a database of 119 crore residents.
• The NPR is the first step to the creation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) as per the Citizenship Act.
• It will be compulsory for the States to register births and deaths on the Centre’s Civil Registration System (CRS) portal and share data with the RGI which functions under the Union Home Ministry.

 

GS PAPER – II

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)

Why in news?

• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) complete three years of successful implementation. A significant sum of ₹20,050 crore was allocated for the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) in 2020, committing the biggest-ever investment in the history of Indian fisheries.

Significance of the Sheme

• The PMMSY began to address critical gaps in the fisheries value chain from fish production, productivity and quality to technology, post-harvest infrastructure and marketing.
• It identified key strategic priority areas: marine fisheries, inland fisheries, fishermen’s welfare, infrastructure and post-harvest management, cold water fisheries, ornamental fisheries, aquatic health management, and sea weed cultivation, among others.
• The PMMSY has successfully pulled inland fisheries from traditional waters, and infused technology, inspiring many talented and enterprising youth to venture into fisheries.
• Today, young woman entrepreneurs from the Kashmir Valley are efficiently rearing cold water rainbow trout using a recirculatory aquaculture system.
• Aquapreneurs in Nellore have become successful exporters, thanks to biofloc cultivated shrimps.
• The PMMSY has also helped to expand fisheries to non-traditional areas. Almost 20,000 hectares of fresh pond area is being brought under inland aquaculture, and even in landlocked Haryana and Rajasthan, farmers are successfully converting their saline waste lands into wealth lands through aquaculture.
• The PMMSY has empowered fisher women to explore remunerative options and alternative livelihoods, such as ornamental fisheries, pearl culture, and seaweed cultivation.
• The PMMSY has enabled 900 fish feed plants and 755 hatcheries, and is supporting research and genetic improvement of Indian White Shrimp at Chennai, the development of specific pathogen-free brood stock, and domestication of tiger shrimp in the Andaman Islands.
• India is now counted among the world’s top three countries in fish and aquaculture production, and is also the biggest shrimp exporter in the world.
• The government has recently announced investment of ₹6,000 crore as a sub scheme under the PMMSY, taking total investment into fisheries to more than ₹38,500 crore over the last nine years.

 

GS PAPER: II

Supreme Court Onboards Case Data on National Judicial Data Grid

Why in the news?

Recently, the Supreme Court announced the onboarding of its case data on the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), a national repository of data on cases instituted, pending, and disposed of by courts around the country.

What is the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)?

• The NJDG is a database of orders, judgments, and case details of 18,735 District and subordinate Courts and High Courts, created as an online platform under the eCourts Project.
• The data are updated in real-time, and the grid contains granular data up to the Taluka level.
• All High Courts have also joined the NJDG through web services, providing easy access facilities to the litigant public.

How Does the NJDG Help?

• The NJDG works as a monitoring tool to identify, manage, and reduce the pendency of cases.
• It also helps identify specific bottlenecks in judicial processes and generate inputs related to particular areas of law.

Do You Know?

• NJDG also provides an Open Application Programming Interface (API) to the Centre and State Governments.

Analysis:

Overall, the NJDG is a valuable tool that can be used to improve transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the Indian justice system.

 

GS PAPER – III

The Rubber Board

Why in news?

The Rubber Board, jointly with the Central government and the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association, is implementing a project to expand the area under natural rubber in the Northeastern States.

About the Rubber Board:

• The Rubber Board of India is a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
• It was established in 1948 with the objective of promoting and regulating the rubber industry in India.
• The Board’s headquarters is located at Kottayam in Kerala.
• The Board is responsible for the development of the rubber industry in the country by way of assisting and encouraging research, development, extension and training activities related to rubber.
• It also maintains statistical data of rubber, takes steps to promote marketing of rubber and undertake labour welfare activities.

 

GS PAPER – III

India Now Authorised to Issue OIML Certificates

Why in news?

Recently, India became the 13th country in the world to be authorised to issue OIML certificates.

• This is a significant step for the Indian economy, as it will make it easier for Indian manufacturers to export their goods to other countries.

What is the OIML?

• The OIML stands for International Organisation of Legal Metrology.
• It is an international standard-setting body that develops model regulations, standards, and related documents for use by legal metrology authorities and the industry.
• Metrology is the science of measurement and its application.
• The OIML plays a crucial role in harmonising laws and regulations on the performance of measuring instruments.

What is an OIML certificate?

• An OIML certificate is a type of certification that is accepted worldwide.
• To sell a weight or measure in the international market an OIML Pattern Approval certificate is mandatory, which the Department of Consumer Affairs can issue now.
• It is issued by a government or other accredited authority to confirm that a measuring instrument meets the OIML’s standards.

Analysis:

The ability to issue OIML certificates will make it easier for Indian manufacturers to export their goods to other countries. This is because many countries require imported measuring instruments to be certified by an OIML-authorised body.

 

GS PAPER – II

Post Office Bill (2023): Changing role of post offices

Why in news?

Recently, the new Post Office Bill (2023) introduced in the Rajya Sabha on the penultimate day of the monsoon session of Parliament, is to replace the Indian Post Office Act (1898) in the light of the changing role of post offices.

• The new Bill authorises the Director General of Postal Services to make regulations related to activities necessary for providing various other services as the central government may prescribe, and to fix charges of them.

What are the key changes introduced in the new Post Office Bill (2023)?

• Flexibility in pricing: India Post will have more flexibility to set prices for its services, which will help it to compete more effectively in the market.
• Power to intercept postal items: The central government will have the power to intercept, open, or detain postal items in the interest of national security and public safety. This power is already available to the government under the existing law, but the new Bill makes it more explicit.
• Standards for addressing: The central government will set standards for addressing on items, address identifiers, and usage of post codes. This will help to improve the efficiency of postal delivery.
• Removal of exclusive privilege: The central government will no longer have the exclusive privilege to convey letters by post. This means that courier companies will be able to compete with India Post in the delivery of letters.
• The Bill also states that the Post Office will have the exclusive privilege of issuing postage stamps.

Analysis

The changes in the new Post Office Bill are generally positive. They will give India Post more flexibility to compete in the market, improve the efficiency of postal delivery, and make postal services more accessible to everyone. However, there are some concerns about the power of the central government to intercept postal items. It is important to ensure that this power is used in a transparent and accountable manner. Overall, the new Post Office Bill is a step in the right direction.