PIB

Cabinet approves creation of Post of Technical Member in SAT

Benefits:

• Creation of the post will facilitate the creation of an additional bench in SAT, Mumbai thereby allowing speedy disposal of the increased number of appeals in SAT with respect to Securities and Exchanges Board of India, (SEBI), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA) and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), which will be much beneficial to investors, pensioners and the general public.
• The securities market and insurance sector are growing rapidly. With increase in the volume of trading in securities market, and clients in the insurance sector, it is likely that the grievances will also increase.
• Therefore, it is necessary that a speedy redressal system is established. It would ensure speedy disposal of appeal cases related to insurance, securities market and pension benefitting the general public.

Brief introduction about Tribunals:

• The original Constitution did not contain provisions with respect to tribunals. The 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 added a new Part XIV-A to the Constitution.
• This part is entitled as ‘Tribunals’ and consists of only two Articles—Article 323A dealing with administrative tribunals and Article 323 B dealing with tribunals for other matters.
• Under Article 323 B, the Parliament and the state legislatures are authorised to provide for the establishment of tribunals for the adjudication of disputes relating to the following matters:

(a) Taxation

(b) Foreign exchange, import and export

(c) Industrial and labour

(d) Land reforms

(e) Ceiling on urban property

(f) Elections to Parliament and state legislatures

(g) Food stuffs

(h) Rent and tenancy rights.

Hydro Power Sector

Details:

• Large Hydropower Projects to be declared as  Renewable  Energy source (as per existing practice, only hydropower projects less than 25MW are categorized as Renewable Energy).
• HPO as a separate entity within non-solar Renewable Purchase Obligation to cover LHPs commissioned after notification of these measures (SHPs are already covered under Non-Solar Renewable Purchase Obligation).
• The trajectory of annual HPO targets will be notified by Ministry of Power based on the projected capacity addition plans in hydropower sector. Necessary amendments will   be introduced in the Tariff Policy and Tariff Regulations to operationalize HPO.
• Tariff rationalization measures including providing flexibility to the developers to determine tariff  by  back loading of tariff after increasing project life to 40 years,  increasing debt repayment period to 18 years and introducing escalating tariff of 2%;
• Budgetary support for funding flood moderation component of hydropower projects on case to case basis; and
• Budgetary support for funding cost of enabling infrastructure i.e. roads and bridges on case to case basis as per actual, limited to Rs. 1.5 crore per MW for upto 200 MW projects and Rs. 1.0 crore per MW for above 200 MW projects.

Background:

• India is endowed with large hydropower potential of 1,45,320 MW of which only about 45,400 MW has been utilized so far. Only about 10,000 MW of hydropower has been added in the last 10 years.
• The hydropower sector is currently going through a challenging phase and the share of hydropower in the total capacity has declined from 50.36% in the 1960s to around 13% in 2018-19.
• Besides being environment friendly, hydropower has several other unique features like ability for quick ramping, black start, reactive absorption etc. which make it ideal for peaking power, spinning reserve and grid balancing/ stability.
• Further, hydropower also provides water security, irrigation and flood moderation benefits, apart from socio-economic development of the entire region by providing employment opportunities and boosting tourism etc.
• The importance of hydropower is increasing even more as the country has targeted to add 160 GW of intermittent Solar and Wind power by 2022 and 40% of the total capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 to honour its Nationally Determined Contribution for Climate Change.

Major Impact:

• As most of the hydro power potential is located in the higher reaches of Himalayas and North- East Region, it will result in overall socio-economic development of the region by providing direct employment in the power sector.
• It will also provide indirect employment/ entrepreneurial opportunities in the field of transportation, tourism and other small scale businesses.
• Another benefit would be of having a stable grid considering 160 GW capacity addition by 2022 from infirm sources of power like solar and wind.

National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage

National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Storage:

Composition:

• The multi-disciplinary “National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage” with an Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee will be chaired by CEO NITI Aayog.
• The Steering Committee will be comprised of Secretaries from Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Power, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Heavy Industry, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, and Director General, Bureau of Industrial Standards.

Background:

• During the Global Mobility Summit held in September 2018, Prime Minister had outlined the vision for the future of mobility in India based on 7 C’s    which are Common, Connected, Convenient, Congestion-free, Charged, Clean   and Cutting-edge mobility. Mobility has the potential to drive the economy forward and positively impact the lives of citizens both in urban and rural areas.

• Affordable, accessible, inclusive and safe mobility solutions are primary strategic levers for rapid economic development and improving ‘Ease of Living’. Shared, connected and clean mobility solutions are increasingly becoming the key principles of effective mobility solutions across the world. Given its commitment to climate goals, India needs to adopt effective strategies to place itself as a key driver of the mobility revolution in the world.

• Hence, there was a need felt to establish a dedicated multi-disciplinary Mission that will facilitate cooperative federalism, extensive stakeholder and inter-ministerial consultations and implement end-to-end policy framework for transforming the mobility landscape with particular focus on:
  • Manufacturing
  • Specification & standards
  • Fiscal incentives
  • Overall demand creation and projections
  • Regulatory framework
  • Research & Development

Role:

• The Mission will recommend and drive the strategies for transformative mobility and Phased Manufacturing Programmes for EVs, EV Components and Batteries.
• A Phased Manufacturing Program (PMP) will be launched to localize production across the entire EV value chain. The National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage will determine the contours of PMP, and will finalise the details of such a program.
• The details of the value addition that can be achieved with each phase of localisation will be finalised by the Mission with a clear Make in India strategy for the electric vehicle components as well as battery.
• The Mission will coordinate with key stakeholders in Ministries/ Departments and the states to integrate various initiatives to transform mobility in India.

Roadmaps:

• A phased roadmap to implement battery manufacturing at Giga-scale will be considered with initial focus on large-scale module and pack assembly plants by 2019-20, followed by integrated cell manufacturing by 2021-22.
• Details of the PMP for Batteries shall be formulated by the Mission. The Mission will ensure holistic and comprehensive growth of the battery manufacturing industry in India.
• The Mission will prepare the necessary roadmap that will enable India to leverage upon its size and scale to produce innovative, competitive multi-modal mobility solutions that can be deployed globally in diverse contexts.
• The Mission will define the roadmap for transformative mobility in “New India” by introducing a sustainable mobility ecosystem and fostering Make-in-India to boost domestic manufacturing and employment generation in the country.

Impact:

• The Mission will drive mobility solutions that will bring in significant benefits to the industry, economy and country.
• These solutions will help improve air quality in cities along with reducing India’s oil import dependence and enhance the uptake of renewable energy and storage solutions.
• The Mission will lay down the strategy and roadmap which will enable India to leverage upon its size and scale to develop a competitive domestic manufacturing ecosystem for electric mobility.
• The actions in this regard will benefit all citizens as the aim is to promote ‘Ease of Living’ and enhance the quality of life of our citizens and also provide employment opportunities through ‘Make-in-India’ across a range of skillsets.

Continuation of Atal Innovation Mission

Objective:

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) including Self-Employment and Talent Utilization (SETU) is Government of India’s endeavour to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
• Its objective is to serve as a platform for promotion of world-class Innovation Hubs, Grand Challenges, Start-up businesses and other self-employment activities, particularly in technology driven areas.

The Atal Innovation Mission shall have two core functions:

• Entrepreneurship promotion through Self-Employment and Talent Utilization, wherein innovators would be supported and mentored to become successful entrepreneurs
• Innovation promotion: to provide a platform where innovative ideas are generated.

Details

AIM has multiple programs to encourage and support innovation in the country.

State of the art Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) are being established in thousands of schools, world class Atal Incubation Centres (AIC) and Atal Community Innovation Centers (ACIC) are being established for universities and industry,

Promotion of product development in areas of national relevance and social importance is being supported through Atal New India Challenges (ANICs).

Financial implications:

• Each ATL receives a grant in aid of Rs. 12 lakhs in the first year, and upto 2 lakhs per year for subsequent 4 years, for maintenance of the ATL equipment and operational expenses.
• Each selected AIC would be receiving grant in aid upto Rs 10 crore over 3-5 years in tranches per year, based on review and evidence of planned milestones reached.
• Innovators will receive commercialization and technology deployment grants upto Rs. 1 crore under the ANICs.

Impact:

• The Mission has undertaken many bold and forward-looking initiatives such as Alal Tinkering Labs (ATL) and Atal Incubation Centres (AIC), which have received great traction;
• Many Ministries/Departments of Government of India have initiated innovation related activities with the help and technical support of AIM.
• Under the ATL program, more than 10,000 schools are expected to establish these labs by 2020.
• More than 100 Atal Incubation Centres (AICs) are likely to established around the country, supporting at least 50-60 startups each over the first five years.
• More than 100 innovators/startups are expected to receive some support for productizing their innovations.
• Other programs being supported through Ministries will have even more beneficiaries.
• Each incubator is expected to foster 50-60 technology driven innovative Startups every four years.
• The 100+ Incubators set up would thus foster 5000-6000 innovative Startups and this will multiply with new incubators being set up.
• The potential for employment generation from these innovations driven Startups is quite high.

Implementation Strategy and targets:

• AIM selects each beneficiary through open, competitive, online applications, and disburses grants directly. Furthermore, AIM leverages its experts and networks around the country to build capacity in ATLs, AICs, etc. connecting various kinds of populations. Additionally, corporate and international partners are connected to AIM beneficiaries, to ensure flow of information and technology between academia, innovation, and the start-up ecosystem as well as provide mentoring support to ensure success of AIM's initiatives.

• AIM's Mentor of Change Programme is mandated to ensure the success of the ATLs. Through this programme, well-qualified mentors from different professional backgrounds are selected to provide pro-bono mentoring to ATL students over a range of skills.
• Mentors also collaborate with the School administrators to ensure the ATLs operate in the manner, mandated by AIM. As on date, more than 2,500 mentors are actively mentoring students in over 1,300 ATL schools.

Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP)

Salient features:

• The Scheme "FMBAP" has been framed by merging the components of two continuing XII Plan schemes titled "Flood Management Programme (FMP)" and "River Management Activities and Works related to Border Areas (RMBA)".
• The aim of the Scheme is to assist the State Governments to provide reasonable degree of protection against floods in critical areas by adopting optimum combination of structural and non-structural measures and enhancing capabilities of State/Central Government officials in related fields.
• The works under the scheme will protect valuable land from erosion and flooding and help in maintaining peace along the border.
• The Scheme aims at completion of the on-going projects already approved under FMP. Further, the scheme also caters to Hydro-meteorological observations and Flood Forecasting on common rivers with the neighbouring countries.
• The Scheme also includes survey and investigations, preparation of DPR etc. of water resources projects on the common rivers with neighbouring countries like Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project, Sapta Kosi-Sun Kosi Projects in Nepal which would benefit both countries.

Funding pattern:

• The funding pattern for FM Component for works in general category States will continue to be 50% (Centre) : 50% (State) and for projects of North Eastern States, Sikkim, J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the funding pattern will continue to be 70% (Centre) : 30% (State).
• RMBA component being specific to activities in border areas with neighbouring countries and in accordance with bilateral mechanisms, the projects / works will continue to be funded as 100% grant-in-aid / central assistance.

Benefits:        

• The FMBAP Scheme will be implemented throughout the country for effective flood management, erosion control and anti-sea erosion.
• The proposal will benefit towns, villages, industrial establishments, communication links, agricultural fields, infrastructure etc. from floods and erosion in the country. The catchment area treatment works will help in reduction of sediment load into rivers.

THE HINDU

Teachers entitled to gratuity:

About the judgment:

• In a rare move, the court recently called back its own judgment suo motu and listed it for fresh hearing.
• The court had frozen the implementation of the court's January 7 verdict which erroneously held that a teacher is not an 'employee' under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972.
• The January 7 judgment, which was re-called, was delivered by a after relying on a 2005 judgment of the Supreme Court.

Amendments to the act:

• The Bench was not apprised of the later development of Parliament amending the law in 2009 to effectively include teachers within the ambit of 'employee' under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972.
• The amendment had a retrospective effect dating back to 1997.
• Subsequent High Court judgments had also interpreted the 2009 amendment to include teachers within the definition of ‘employee’ under Section 2(e) of the Act irrespective of the institution in which they work.
• The case concerned an appeal that was based on an order of the Jharkhand High Court allowing the plea of a former assistant professor of Birla Institute of Technology for the gratuity amount.

Indian Army to undergo major reforms:

Reforms:

• In a major move, Defence Minister has approved the first batch of reforms in the Army which include relocation of 229 officers from the Army headquarters, creation of a new post of Deputy Chief for Military Operations and Strategic Planning, and setting up new wings for vigilance and human rights issues.
• The sources said the number of officers being moved out was 20% of the number of officers in the Army headquarters in the national capital, and they would be deployed in forward locations along the borders with China and Pakistan.
• They said the post of Deputy Chief of the Army Staff, Strategy, is being created to deal with military operations, intelligence, strategic planning and operational logistics.
• The reforms will also include restructuring the Army’s officer cadre, bringing down age of key commands, arresting rising revenue expenditure and “rightsizing” the force.

Large hydro projects get ‘renewable energy’ status:

New Policy:

• According to the new policy, large hydro projects will also be designated as renewable energy projects. So far, only smaller projects of less than 25 MW in capacity were categorised as renewable energy.
• With the removal of this distinction, large hydro projects will be included as a separate category under the non-solar renewable purchase obligation policy.
• Under this policy, power purchasers will have to source a portion of electricity from large hydro projects.
• The new policy had increased the debt repayment period for hydro projects to 18 years from the current 12 years with the provision to introduce an escalating tariff of 2%.

India, Russia sign deal on nuclear submarine:

About the deal:

• The two countries signed an inter-governmental agreement capping months of negotiations on price and other aspects of the deal.
• Under the pact, Russia will have to deliver the Akula class submarine, to be known as Chakra III, to the Indian Navy by 2025. It will be the third Russian submarine to be leased to the Navy.
• India has been significantly bolstering its naval prowess in the backdrop of China’s attempts to expand its influence in the Indian Ocean region.

India excluded again from UK’s student visa relaxation list:

About the exclusion:

• This follows last year’s controversy when China, Indonesia, the Maldives and other countries were included on the list.
• The failure to include India triggered much criticism, particularly after the U.K. sought to suggest that the exclusion related to New Delhi’s decision to pull out of a Memorandum of Understanding on the return of illegal migrants.
• Among the new countries to which the “streamlined documentary requirements” apply are Peru, Kazakhstan, Mauritius and Oman.
• This change will not only benefit students, who will be able to apply for visas through a more streamlined process, but also help to ensure that the U.K.’s world-leading education institutions remain competitive internationally.
• The changes are part of a wider update to Britain’s immigration system that will introduce two new visa routes for setting up businesses in the U.K. including a “start-up” route and an equivalent one for more seasoned business people.
• In both cases, business experts will be involved in assessing the merits of the business ideas. This will make sure that the routes are focussed on only the most innovative, viable and scalable businesses.

Fast-track visa scheme:

• The government has also updated its rules governing a fast-track visa scheme for wealthy investors which has been used by many Indians.
• The scheme, which is open to those who invest at least £2 million in U.K. government, shares or businesses, offers a faster route to settlement in the country.
• Eighty-two Indian nationals applied for an investor visa through this route between 2008 and March 2018, according to Transparency International.
• However, amid concerns that the route has been abused for illicit money flows, the government has been under pressure to either scrap or reform the system.
• Now, applicants will be required to prove that they have had control of the required £2 million for at least two years, rather than 90 days, or provide evidence of the source of those funds.

Cabinet empowers AM on divestment:

About AM:

• In a bid to speed up the disinvestment process, the government created the Alternative Mechanism (AM) in 2017 comprising Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, and the representative minister from the relevant ministry.
• The recent Cabinet decision has further empowered this AM with regard to disinvestment matters.
• Now, with regard to cases where the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has already given its in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment, the AM will be empowered to also decide on quantum of shares to be transacted.

Names for Lok Pal shortlisted:

Recent developments:

• A Bench led by Chief Justice asked Mr. Venugopal to enquire within 10 days about the probable date by which the Selection Committee would meet to finalise the appointment of the first Lokpal Chairperson and members.
• AG appearing for the government, said he received a letter from the Search Committee chairperson and former Supreme Court judge, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, on September 28 informing him that three panels of shortlisted names, for the Lokpal Chairperson and judicial and non-judicial members, had been handed over to the high-power Selection Committee.
• On January 17, the apex court had put the Search Committee on a clock, giving it time till February-end to shortlist a panel of suitable names and pass it on to the Selection Committee.
• There were 10 names shortlisted for Lokpal Chairperson and five names each for judicial and non-judicial members.
• The court refused a plea by petitioner NGO Common Cause to put the shortlisted names in the public domain for the sake of transparency. CJI observed that there was no provision in the Lokpal Act to gather public opinion on shortlisted names.

Selection Committee:

• Under Section 4 (1) of the Lokpal Act, the Selection Committee consists of the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, Leader of the Opposition (LoP), the Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge nominated by him and an eminent jurist.
• In the absence of an LoP, the leader of the single largest party in Opposition in the 16th Lok Sabha would be a ‘special invitee’.
• The AG pointed out that appointment of Lokpal Chairperson or members would not become invalid merely by reason of any vacancy in the Selection Committee.

Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013:

• The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013 seeks to provide for the establishment of Lokpal for the Union and Lokayukta for States to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for related matters.
• The act extends to whole of India, including Jammu & Kashmir and is applicable to "public servants" within and outside India.

Structure of Lok pal:

• The institution of Lokpal is a statutory body without any constitutional backing.
• Lokpal is a multimember body, made up of one chairperson and maximum of 8 members.
• The person who is to be appointed as the chairperson of the Lokpal should be either the former Chief Justice of India Or the former Judge of Supreme Court Or an eminent person with impeccable integrity and outstanding ability, having special knowledge and expertise of minimum 25 years in the matters relating to anti-corruption policy, public administration, vigilance, finance including insurance and banking, law and management.
• Out of the maximum eight members, half will be judicial members.
• Minimum fifty per cent of the Members will be from SC / ST / OBC / Minorities and women.
• The judicial member of the Lokpal should be either a former Judge of the Supreme Court or a former Chief Justice of a High Court.
• The non-judicial member should be an eminent person with impeccable integrity and outstanding ability, having special knowledge and expertise of minimum 25 years in the matters relating to anti-corruption policy, public administration, vigilance, finance including insurance and banking, law and management.
• The members are appointed by the president on the recommendation of a selection committee.
• The selection committee is composed of the Prime Minister who is the Chairperson; Speaker of Lok Sabha, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Chief Justice of India or a Judge nominated by him / her, and One eminent jurist.

Jurisdiction of Lok pal:

• The jurisdiction of the Lokpal will include the Prime Minister except on allegations of corruption relating to international relations, security, the public order, atomic energy and space and unless a Full Bench of the Lokpal and at least two-thirds of members approve an inquiry.
• It will be held in-camera and if the Lokpal so desires, the records of the inquiry will not be published or made available to anyone.
• The Lokpal will also have jurisdiction over Ministers and MPs but not in the matter of anything said in Parliament or a vote given there. Lokpal’s jurisdiction will cover all categories of public servants.
• Group A, B, C or D officers defined as such under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 will be covered under the Lokpal but any corruption complaint against Group A and B officers, after inquiry, will come to the Lokpal.
• However, in the case of Group C and D officers, the Chief Vigilance Commissioner will investigate and report to the Lokpal. However, it provides adequate protection for honest and upright Public Servants.
• Also, any person who is or has been in charge (director / manager/ secretary) of anybody / society set up by central act or any other body financed / controlled by central government and any other person involved in act of abetting, bribe giving or bribe taking.

Powers of Lok pal:

• It has powers to superintendence over, and to give direction to CBI.
• If it has referred a case to CBI, the investigating officer in such case cannot be transferred without approval of Lokpal.
• Powers to authorize CBI for search and seizure operations connected to such case.
• The Inquiry Wing of the Lokpal has been vested with the powers of a civil court.
• Lokpal has powers of confiscation of assets, proceeds, receipts and benefits arisen or procured by means of corruption in special circumstances
• Lokpal has the power to recommend transfer or suspension of public servant connected with allegation of corruption.
• Lokpal has power to give directions to prevent destruction of records during preliminary inquiry.

Funding period extended to boost regional air connectivity:

Extensions:

• The sum of Rs. 4,500 crores had earlier been promised for the development of 50 un-served and under-served airports for the period of three years between financial years 2018 and 2020.
• An AAI official said that this was now being extended to all the airports AAI may develop until 2022.
• The official added that the need to seek these extensions was felt because the duration of the RCS programme according to the scheme document is 10 years. The scheme was launched in March 2017 after the first set of RCS routes were awarded.
• The AAI has developed 38 unfrequented and less frequented airports since the launch of the scheme in March 2017. As many as 750 routes have been awarded for connecting 77 un-served airports, 21 under-served airports, ten waterdromes and 31 helipads.