• 23 May 2024

Rehabilitation Policy for Naxalites

Why in News?

Recently, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister appealed to the Naxalites to join the mainstream and sought suggestions from them for a new rehabilitation policy upon surrender.

Key Points

• According to the Deputy CM, all doors are open for talks with the Maoists. The state government has created an environment of equality and development by providing roads, health services, water and other facilities in villages under the Niyad Nellanar scheme.
  • Anti-Naxal operations and encounters were only a small part of the state government's efforts to ensure overall development of the Naxalite- affected tribal areas.

Niyad Nellanar Scheme

• Niyad Nellanar, meaning “aapka achcha gaon” or “your good village” is the local Dandami dialect (spoken in south Bastar).
• Under this scheme, amenities and benefits will be provided in villages located within 5 kilometers of security camps in Bastar region.
  • 14 new security camps have been set up in Bastar. These camps will also help to facilitate the implementation of the new scheme. Around 25 basic amenities will be provided in such villages under Niyad Nellanar.

Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League

Why in News?

The Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) is gearing up to host the first-ever Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League (CCPL) T20 tournament.

Key Points

• The event will take place at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Naya Raipur from 7^th to 16^th June.
• It is Sanctioned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
  • The CCPL will feature six teams — Raigarh Lions, Raipur Rhinos, Rajnandgaon Panthers, Bilaspur Bulls, Surguja Tigers, and Bastar Bisons.
• Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has been appointed as the brand ambassador of the CCPL.
• Many rising stars from Chhattisgarh will get the chance to showcase their skills and impress the selectors.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)

• It is the national governing body of cricket in India.
• Its headquarters is situated at the cricket centre in Churchgate, Mumbai.
• It was reregistered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975.

Justice Sheel Nagu: New Acting Chief Justice

Why in News?

Recently, the Central government has notified the appointment of Justice Sheel Nagu as Acting Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

Key Points

He will perform the duties of incumbent Chief Justice Ravi Malimath, who will demit office on 24th May 2024.

• He was appointed as an additional judge of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh on 27th May 2011, and became a permanent judge on 23rd May 2013.

Appointment of Acting Chief Justice

• Article 223 of the Constitution of India deals with the appointment of an acting Chief Justice.
• According to this, when the office of the Chief Justice of a High Court is vacant or when such a Chief Justice, on account of absence or otherwise, is unable to perform the duties of his office, the duties of the office shall be performed by such person. Other judges of the Court may be appointed by the President for this purpose.

Gail to Invest in Petrochemical Unit in Madhya Pradesh

Why in News?

According to the sources, state-run gas supplier Gail (India) plans to invest up to Rs 50,000 crore to establish a 1.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) ethane cracking unit at Sehore, Madhya Pradesh.

Key Points

• The new facility aims to meet the huge domestic demand for petrochemicals, which is projected to nearly triple to USD 1 trillion by 2040.
  • Ethane, a natural gas component, is cracked into ethylene, a crucial input for producing plastics, adhesives, synthetic rubber, and other petrochemicals.
• Currently, Reliance Industries is the only Indian entity importing 1.5 MTPA of ethane for its crackers in Dahej, Hazira (Gujarat), and Nagothane (Maharashtra).
• Gail’s new ethane cracker will almost double its existing 810 thousand tonnes per annum (KTA) petrochemical facility at Pata near Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
  • Global engineering consultant Engineers India Ltd is preparing the detailed feasibility report for the project, which is expected to be operational in the next 5-6 years.
• Initially, Gail considered setting up the new facility in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad or Dabhol, near its 5 MTPA liquefied natural gas plant, but later decided on Madhya Pradesh.

GAIL (India) Limited

• It is an Indian state-owned energy corporation with primary interests in the trade, transmission and production distribution of natural gas.
• It was founded as the Gas Authority of India Ltd. in August 1984 under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to build, operate and maintain the HVJ Gas Pipeline.
• On 1 February 2013, the Indian government conferred GAIL with Maharatna status along with 11 other Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).

Poppy Seized in Jharkhand

Why in News?

According to the official sources, police have seized 37.23 quintal of poppy worth over Rs 5.58 crore in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district.

Key Points

• The opium poppy (Papaver Somniferum L.) belonging to the family Papaveraceae, is an annual medicinal herb.
• It contains many alkaloids that are frequently used as an analgesic, antitussive and anti spasmodic in modern medicine. Besides, it is also grown as a source of edible seed and seed oil.
• Poppy straw is the husk left after the opium is extracted from pods.
• This poppy straw also contains a very small morphine content and if used in sufficient quantities, poppy straw can give a high.
• Possession, sale, use, etc. of poppy straw is regulated by the State Governments under the State Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Rules.
• Farmers sell the poppy straw to those licensed by the State Governments to purchase poppy straw.
  • Any excess poppy straw is ploughed back into the field.
• Poppy straw is one of the narcotic drugs under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 (NDPS Act).
  • Hence, anyone possessing, selling, purchasing or using poppy straw without a license or authorization or in violation of any conditions of the license is liable to prosecution under the NDPS Act.

Alkaloids

• Alkaloids are a huge group of naturally occurring organic compounds which contain nitrogen atom or atoms (amino or amido in some cases) in their structures.
• These nitrogen atoms cause alkalinity of these compounds.
• Well-known alkaloids include morphine, strychnine, quinine, ephedrine, and nicotine.
• The medicinal properties of alkaloids are quite diverse. Morphine is a powerful narcotic used for the relief of pain, though its addictive properties limit its usefulness. Codeine, the methyl ether derivative of morphine found in the opium poppy, is an excellent analgesic that is relatively nonaddictive.

Abolition of Revenue Police System in Uttarakhand

Why in News?

Recently, the Uttarakhand High Court has directed the state government to totally abolish the system of revenue police within a year and hand over areas under its jurisdiction to regular police.

• Uttarakhand is the only state in the country where the system of revenue police coexists alongside regular police.

Key Points

• Revenue police, which is manned by revenue department officials, has limited powers with only remote rural areas of the hill state coming under its jurisdiction.
• The high court had ordered removal of the nearly a century-old practice of revenue police from the state also in 2018.
• The state cabinet also passed a resolution in October 2022 for abolishing the revenue police system in a phased manner.
• In 2004, the Supreme Court, in the case of Navin Chandra vs State Government, had felt the need to abolish this system.
  • The SC had observed that the revenue police are not given training like the regular police.
  • Lack of basic facilities makes it difficult for the revenue police to review a crime.

Revenue Police System

• The revenue police system in Uttarakhand came into existence in the 1800s when the rulers of Tehri lost their territories to Gurkhas.
  • They requested the British to expel the Gurkhas from Garhwal in exchange for payment. After the war, the rulers were unable to pay and in exchange, the British kept the western part of Garhwal.
  • In order to collect revenues from the natural resources and minerals found in present-day Uttarakhand, the British put in place a revenue system with the posts of patwari, kanungo, lekhpal, etc., similar to the Mughal administration.
    • It was decided that no special police was needed in the hill parts of Uttarakhand because the hills saw little crime, and it was therefore deemed unnecessary to have a dedicated police force.