Legislative Council

Why in News

There is a resolution by Odisha Legislative Assembly for the formation of a second chamber — the State Legislative Council. However, the resolution is pending with the Central Government.

Legislative Council

• Base For Formation
  
  • India has a bicameral system of legislature. Just as Parliament has two Houses, the states can also have a Legislative Council in addition to the Legislative Assembly through Article 169 of the Constitution.
• Six States having a Legislative Council: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka.
  
  • Recently, the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Council has been abolished through the J&K Reorganisation Bill, 2019, which reduced the State of J&K to the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
• Abolition or Creation - Article 169
  
  • The Parliament can abolish a legislative council (where it already exists) or create it (where it does not exist) by a simple majority, that is, a majority of the members of each House present and voting, if the legislative assembly of the concerned state, by a special majority, passes a resolution to that effect.
  • Special majority implies
    
    • A majority of the total membership of the assembly and
    • A majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of the assembly present and voting.
• Composition
  
  • Under Article 171 of the Constitution, the Legislative Council of a state shall not have more than one-third of the total strength of the State Assembly, and not less than 40 members.
  • Like the Rajya Sabha, the legislative council is a continuing chamber, that is, it is a permanent body and is not subject to dissolution. The tenure of a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) is six years, with one-third of the members retiring every two years.
• Manner of Election
  
  • One-third of the MLCs are elected by the state’s MLAs,
  • Another 1/3^rd by a special electorate comprising sitting members of local governments such as municipalities and district boards,
  • 1/12^th by an electorate of teachers and another 1/12^th by registered graduates.
  • The remaining members are appointed by the Governor for distinguished services in various fields namely, literature, science, art, cooperative movement and social service.
• LC vis-à-vis Rajya Sabha
  
  • The legislative power of the Councils are limited. Unlike Rajya Sabha which has substantial powers to shape non-financial legislation, Legislative Councils lack a constitutional mandate to do so.
  • Assemblies can override suggestions/amendments made to legislation by the Council.
  • Again, unlike Rajya Sabha MPs, MLCs cannot vote in elections for the President and Vice President. The Vice President is the Rajya Sabha Chairperson while a member from the Council itself is chosen as the Council Chairperson.
• Arguments in Favour
  
  • A Legislative Council can help check hasty actions by the directly elected House.
  • The Legislative Council also enables non-elected individuals to contribute to the legislative process.
• Arguments Against
  
  • Legislative Council can delay legislation.
  • It can also be used to park leaders who have not been able to win an election.

Source: IE

Space Internet

Why in News

Recently, the world’s leading private company in space technology SpaceX has launched the Starlink Network in Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) aimed at providing low-cost and reliable space-based internet services to the world.

• Currently, fibre optic cables or wireless networks through mobile towers provide internet services.
• It can be noted that the idea of space internet system is not new. It is being used through Geostationary Satellite for selective users.

Space Internet with Geostationary Satellite

• Most of the existing space-based Internet systems use satellites in geostationary orbit.
  
  • Geostationary orbit is located at a height of 35,786 km over the Earth’s surface, directly above the Equator.
  • Satellites in this orbit move at speeds of about 11,000 km per hour, and complete one revolution of the Earth at the same time that the earth rotates once on its axis.
  • To the observer on the ground, therefore, a satellite in a geostationary orbit appears stationary.
• Advantages:
  
  • Coverage: The signals from one geostationary satellite can cover roughly a third of the planet — and three to four satellites would be enough to cover the entire Earth.
  • Easier Connectivity: As satellites appear to be stationary, it is easier to link to them.
• Disadvantages:
  
  • Latency Issues: The transmission from a satellite in geostationary orbit has a latency of about 600 milliseconds. The geostationary satellites are located at higher altitudes compared to LEO, thus the longer the distance that needs to be covered results into greater latency.
    
    • The latency is the time lag between a user seeking data, and the server sending that data.

Space Internet with Low Earth Orbit

• The LEO extends up to 2,000 km above the Earth’s surface.
• Advantages:
  
  • Reduced Latency: The presence of satellite at a lower height from the Earth’s surface, will help to bring the lag down to 20-30 milliseconds, roughly the time it takes for terrestrial systems to transfer data.
  • More Viable: The signals from satellites in space can overcome obstacles faced by fibre-optic cables or wireless networks easily.
    
    • The traditional ways to deliver the internet — fibre-optic cables or wireless networks are not feasible in remote areas or places with difficult terrain.
    • Setting up cables or mobile towers in these areas is not viable.
• Disadvantages:
  
  • Coverage: Due to its lower height, its signals cover a relatively small area. As a result, many more satellites are needed in order to reach signals to every part of the planet.
    
    • The satellites in these orbits travel at more than double the speed of satellites in geostationary orbit to balance the effects of gravity. Thus, many more satellites are needed in the network to eliminate breaks in transmission of data.
  • Space Debris: It will generate more space debris.
  • Difficulty in Space Studies: The constellations of space internet satellites will make it difficult to observe other space objects, and to detect their signals.
  • Light Pollution: There will be an increased risk of light pollution.
    
    • Light reflected from the man-made satellites can interfere with — and be mistaken for — light coming from other space bodies.

Source: IE

Deposit Insurance

Why in News

Recently, the failure of the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank reignited the debate on the low level of insurance against the deposits held by customers in Indian banks.

• Currently, in case of a bank collapse, a depositor can claim an amount up to a maximum of ₹ 1 lakh per account as the insurance cover (even if the deposit in their account is greater than ₹ 1 lakh). This amount is termed ‘deposit insurance’- the insurance cover against the deposits of an individual in banks.
• The insurance cover is provided by the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).
• Recently, the issue of depositor protection was also in the news when the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill was introduced in Parliament in 2017. The FRDI bill became controversial because of its suggestion that bank depositors be asked to share part of the cost of resolution of a failed bank.

Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation

• DICGC came into existence in 1978 after the merger of Deposit Insurance Corporation (DIC) and Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd. (CGCI) after passing of the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act, 1961 by the Parliament.
  
  • It serves as a deposit insurance and credit guarantee for banks in India.
  • It is a fully owned subsidiary of and is governed by the Reserve Bank of India.
• DICGC charges 10 paise per ₹ 100 of deposits held by a bank. The premium paid by the insured banks to the Corporation is paid by the banks and is not to be passed on to depositors.
• DICGC last revised the deposit insurance cover to ₹ 1 lakh on May 1, 1993, raising it from ₹ 30,000 since 1980. The protection cover of deposits in Indian banks through insurance is among the lowest in the world.
  
  • The Damodaran Committee on ‘Customer Services in Banks’ (2011) had recommended a five-time increase in the cap to ₹5 lakh due to rising income levels and increasing size of individual bank deposits.
• Banks, including regional rural banks, local area banks, foreign banks with branches in India, and cooperative banks, are mandated to take deposit insurance cover with the DICGC.

Source: IE

Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched the Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh (BPKK) in New Delhi.

• The BPKK will be a repository of diverse crops across agro-climatic zones in India for better nutritional outcomes.
• The country has been broadly divided into fifteen agricultural regions based on agro climatic features, particularly soil type, climate including temperature and rainfall and its variation and water resources.

• During the launch event, the father of the Green Revolution in India, M S Swaminathan put forward the five-point action programme for making India nutrition secure. These are:
  
  • Ensure calorie rich diet for women, expectant mothers and children.
  • Ensure intake of proteins in the form of pulses to eradicate protein hunger in women and children.
  • Eradicate hidden hunger due to deficiency of micronutrients like vitamin A, vitamin B, Iron and Zinc.
  • Ensure clean drinking water supply.
  • Spreading nutrition literacy in every village particularly in mothers with children less than 100 days’ old.
• The five point action programme also aligns with different Sustainable Development Goals such as SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well Being) and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
• The Government has launched programmes such as POSHAN Abhiyaan and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) to tackle malnutrition prevalent in the country.

Source: PIB

Kimberley Process

Why in News

The plenary meeting of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) is being hosted by India from 18^th to 22^nd November 2019 in New Delhi.

Significance of KPCS

• India has been actively involved in the development of the Kimberley Process (KP) as an important protocol in trade of diamonds which has ensured that 99.8% of the diamonds in the world are conflict-free.
  
  • The Kimberley Process (KP) is a commitment to remove conflict diamonds from the global supply chain.
  • Conflict Diamonds means rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments.
• Currently, India exports around US $24 billion worth cut and polished diamonds which is expected to reach an export target of US $1 trillion in the upcoming years.
• The importance of KPCS is immense to India as more than one million people are directly employed by the diamond industry. The industry plays a pivotal role in sustaining the livelihoods of these people.

Kimberley Process Certification Scheme

• The KPCS came into effect from 1^st January 2003 and evolved into an effective mechanism for stopping the trade in conflict diamonds.
• India is one of the founder members of the KPCS. India had earlier chaired KPCS in the year 2008.
• The Kimberley Process is a joint initiative involving Government, International Diamond Industry and Civil Society to stem the flow of Conflict Diamonds.
• It is also described in United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
• At present, KPCS has 55 members representing 82 countries including EU with 28 members.
• It is chaired on a rotating basis by participating countries.
• Since 2003, India has been actively participating in the KPCS process and is a member of almost all Working Groups of KP (except the Working Group on Artisanal and Alluvial Production (WGAAP)).
  
  • Department of Commerce is the nodal Department, and
  • Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) is designated as the KPCS Importing and Exporting Authority in India. GJEPC is responsible for issuing KP Certificates and is also the custodian of KP Certificates received in the country.

Source: PIB

ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus

Why in News

The 6^th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) is to be held in Bangkok on 20^th November 2019.

• The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN (The Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and it’s eight Dialogue Partners to strengthen security and defence cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region.
  
  • The ADMM-Plus countries include ten ASEAN Member State and eight Plus countries, namely Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, ROK, Russian Federation, and the United States.
• It aims to promote mutual trust and confidence between defence establishments through greater dialogue and transparency.
• The first ADMM-Plus was convened at Ha Noi, Vietnam in 2010.
  
  • 2^nd ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in 2007 at Singapore adopted a resolution to establish the ADMM-Plus
• The chairmanship of the ADMM-Plus follows the chairmanship of the ADMM.
  
  • Currently, the ADMM and ADMM Plus is chaired by Thailand
• It has five areas of practical cooperation, namely maritime security, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping operations and military medicine.

Source: PIB

8th International Conference on Agricultural Statistics (ICAS-VIII)

The 8^th International Conference on Agricultural Statistics (ICAS-VIII) is being held from 18^th to 21^st November 2019 in New Delhi.

• Organised by: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, International Statistical Institute - Committee on Agricultural Statistics (ISI-CAS), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and various other organizations.
• Theme: Statistics for Transformation of Agriculture to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
• ICAS
  
  • ICAS is a series of conferences, sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Bank (WB), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other international development agencies.
  • It was started in 1998 based on overarching need for agricultural data worldwide. It is conducted every three years and the last conference was held in Rome in 2016.

Source: PIB

IMD World Talent Ranking

Why in News

According to the latest IMD World Talent Ranking- 2019, India has slipped 6 places from 53^rd in 2018 to 59^th rank this year on a global annual list of 63 countries.

• International Institute for Management Development (IMD) is a business education school based in Switzerland.

Key Findings

• Switzerland retained its title as the world's top talent hub and topped the ranking, followed by Denmark (2^nd) and Sweden (3^rd).
  
  • Most leading economies emphasized long-term talent development by focusing on investment and development.
• Parameters: The ranking is based on the performance in three main categories: Investment and development, appeal, and readiness.
  
  • The Investment and Development factor measures the resources committed to cultivate home grown human capital. The Appeal factor evaluates the extent to which a country attracts local and foreign talent. And, the Readiness factor quantifies the quality of the skills and competencies that are available in a country.
• India’s Status:
  
  • India witnessed one of the sharpest declines among Asian economies.
  • India also lagged behind fellow BRICS countries- China ranked 42^nd on the list, Russia (47^th) and South Africa (50^th). However, Brazil was ranked at 61^st place behind India.
• The reasons for the decline in India’s ranking are:
  
  • Low quality of life.
  • Negative impact of brain drain.
  • Low priority on attracting and retaining talents due to declining expenditure on education (per student) and the quality of education which may be linked to the GDP growth.
  • Other factors include- effectiveness of the health system and women's participation in the labour force.

Source: BS

Dudhwa National Park

Why in News

Recently, the elephant safari at Dudhwa National Park was banned, as most of the trained elephants have been deployed in patrolling duties.

• The other major reason to put restrictions on the safari was the aggressive nature of male elephants which poses a serious threat to the safety of riders.

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve

• The Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is a protected area in Uttar Pradesh located on the India-Nepal border.
  
  • It stretches mainly across the Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahraich districts.
• It comprises of:
  
  • Dudhwa National Park through which Suheli and Mohana streams flow,
  • Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary through which Sharda River flows, and
  • Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary through which Geruwa River flows.
  • All of these rivers are tributaries of the Ghagra River.
• The Dudhwa National Park has a number of species of birds, reptiles, wild elephants, aquatic animals, one-horned rhinos, wild elephants besides its enriched flora and fauna. Its undisturbed natural forest cover, vast spans of grasslands and wetlands.
  
  • It is the only place in U.P. where both Tigers and Rhinos can be spotted together.

Source: BS

Bilateral Maritime Exercise Za’ir-Al-Bahr

Why in News

The bilateral maritime exercise Za’ir-Al-Bahr (Roar of the Sea) is conducted between India and Qatar.

• The exercise helps to strengthen cooperation and enhance interoperability between the two navies.
• It majorly focuses on the fight against terrorism, maritime piracy, and maritime security.
• The participation of INS Trikand and Patrol Aircraft P8-I will be noteworthy during exercise.
  • The P8-I Maritime Patrol Aircraft incorporates the latest technology for maritime surveillance.

Source: PIB

Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme

Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme was formulated in 2014 under overall ambit of National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) with the aim to identify, groom and prepare potential medal prospects for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

• High priority category has been created to put focus on those sports disciplines played in the Olympics in which India has won medals in the last conducted Asian Games as well as Commonwealth Games or in which India has a good chance of winning medals.
  
  • Presently, nine sports disciplines viz., (i) Athletics, (ii) Badminton (iii) Hockey (iv) Shooting (v) Tennis (vi) Weightlifting (vii) Wrestling, (viii) Archery and (ix) Boxing have been categorised as ‘High Priority’.
• The National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) was established in November, 1998 under Charitable Endowments Act, 1890 with the aim of promotion of sports and games in the country.

Source: PIB