National Current Affairs – UPSC/IAS Exams- 1st August 2019

Increasing strength of Supreme Court judges

Topic: Polity and Governance

In News: Against the backdrop of rising cases in the Supreme Court, the Union Cabinet on July 31 approved increasing the number of judges in the top court from the present 31 to 34, including the Chief Justice of India.

More on the Topic: 

• At present, the Supreme Court is working with its full sanctioned strength of 31.The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 was last amended in 2009 to increase the judges’ strength from 25 to 30 (excluding the CJI).

Need for improving the number of Judges :

• Due to paucity of judges, the required number of Constitution Benches to decide important cases involving questions of law were not being formed.
• The decision of the Cabinet came days after Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase the number of judges in the top court.
• As per the reports of the government about 59,331 cases are pending in the top court.
• It was a decade ago in 2009 the judge strength of the SC was increased from 26 to 31. The work before the Supreme Court both in terms of complexity and quantity has increased since then.

Background:

• The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 originally provided for a maximum of 10 judges (excluding the CJI). This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 in 1977.
• The working strength of the Supreme court was, however, restricted to 15 judges by the Cabinet (excluding the chief Justice of India) till the end of 1979. But the restriction was withdrawn at the request of the Chief Justice of India.
• In 1986, the strength of the top court was increased to 25, excluding the CJI. Subsequently, the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2009 further augmented the strength of the court from 25 to 30.

Model Mains Question: Give a clear account of the constitution and functions of the Supreme Court of India.

Source: The Hindu

BrahMos cruise missile

Topic: Science and Technology

In News: Thailand is in talks with India for  purchase of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. If happens it will be the first sale of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to another country.

More on the Topic:

• Designed and developed by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture of India and Russia
• It has derived its name from the names of two rivers, India’s Brahmaputra River and Russia’s Moskva River.
• It operates on fire and forget principal. Capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against sea and land targets.
• Carrying capacity : 300 Kg (both conventional and nuclear)
• Speed : Mach 3 (that is, three times the speed of sound)
• Max Range : 290 Km. Its range was extended to 450 km and plan is to increase it to 600km.

Source: Hindu and Wikipedia

The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019

Topic: Governance

In News: The Lok Sabha passed The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

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• It amends the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. The Act provides for the adjudication of disputes relating to waters of inter-state rivers and river valleys.
• Under the Act, a state government may request the central government to refer an inter-state river dispute to a Tribunal for adjudication. If the central government is of the opinion that the dispute cannot be settled through negotiations, it is required to set up a Water Disputes Tribunal for adjudication of the dispute, within a year of receiving such a complaint. The Bill seeks to replace this mechanism.
• Disputes Resolution Committee: Under the Bill, when a state puts in a request regarding any water dispute, the central government will set up a Disputes Resolution Committee (DRC), to resolve the dispute amicably. The DRC will comprise of a Chairperson, and experts with at least 15 years of experience in relevant sectors, to be nominated by the central government.  It will also comprise one member from each state (at Joint Secretary level), who are party to the dispute, to be nominated by the concerned state government.
• The DRC will seek to resolve the dispute through negotiations, within one year (extendable by six months), and submit its report to the central government. If a dispute cannot be settled by the DRC, the central government will refer it to the Inter-State River Water Disputes Tribunal. Such referral must be made within three months from the receipt of the report from the DRC.
• Tribunal: The central government will set up an Inter-State River Water Disputes Tribunal, for the adjudication of water disputes. This Tribunal can have multiple benches.  All existing Tribunals will be dissolved, and the water disputes pending adjudication before such existing Tribunals will be transferred to the new Tribunal.
• Composition of the Tribunal: The Tribunal will consist of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, three judicial members, and three expert members. They will be appointed by the central government on the recommendation of a Selection Committee.  Each Tribunal Bench will consist of a Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson, a judicial member, and an expert member.  The central government may also appoint two experts serving in the Central Water Engineering Service as assessors to advise the Bench in its proceedings.  The assessor should not be from the state which is a party to the dispute.
• Time frames: Under the Act, the Tribunal must give its decision within three years, which may be extended by two years. Under the Bill, the proposed Tribunal must give its decision on the dispute within two years, which may be extended by another year.
• Under the Act, if the matter is again referred to the Tribunal by a state for further consideration, the Tribunal must submit its report to the central government within a period of one year. This period can be extended by the central government. The Bill amends this to specify that such extension may be up to a maximum of six months.
• Decision of the Tribunal: Under the Act, the decision of the Tribunal must be published by the central government in the official gazette. This decision has the same force as that of an order of the Supreme Court.  The Bill removes the requirement of such publication.  It adds that the decision of the Bench of the Tribunal will be final and binding on the parties involved in the dispute.  The Act provided that the central government may make a scheme to give effect to the decision of the Tribunal. The Bill is making it mandatory for the central government to make such scheme.
• Data bank: Under the Act, the central government maintains a data bank and information system at the national level for each river basin. The Bill provides that the central government will appoint or authorise an agency to maintain such data bank.

Model Mains Question: What is water stressed situation? Suggest measures to solve India’s water stressed situation.

Source: Hindu and PRS

Godavari and Bhadrachalam

Topic: Geography

In News: Several Villages at Andhra Pradesh and famous temple town of Bhadrachalam (Telangana) is on alert as the Water levels in the Godavari rises.

More on the Topic:

• The Godavari is India’s second longest river after the Ganga. Its source is in Triambakeshwar, Maharashtra. It drains the states of Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, ultimately emptying into the Bay of Bengal through its extensive network of tributaries.
• Bhadrachalam (or Sita Ramachandraswamy) Temple complex is dedicated to Lord Rama and has many ornate carvings.

Source: The Hindu

Consumer Protection Bill

Topic: Polity and Governance

In News: The Lok Sabha has passed the Consumer Protection Bill 2019, which seeks to give enhanced protection to interests of consumers and timely settlement of their grievances.

Highlights of The Bill:

• Definition of consumer: A consumer is defined as a person who buys any good or avails a service for a consideration. It does not include a person who obtains a good for resale or a good or service for commercial purpose. It covers transactions through all modes including offline, and online through electronic means, teleshopping, multi-level marketing or direct selling.
• Rights of consumers: Six consumer rights have been defined in the Bill, including the right to: (i) be protected against marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life and property; (ii) be informed of the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods or services; (iii) be assured of access to a variety of goods or services at competitive prices; and (iv) seek redressal against unfair or restrictive trade practices.
• Central Consumer Protection Authority: The central government will set up a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers. The CCPA will have an investigation wing, headed by a Director-General, which may conduct inquiry or investigation into such violations.
• CCPA will carry out the following functions, including: (i) inquiring into violations of consumer rights, investigating and launching prosecution at the appropriate forum; (ii) passing orders to recall goods or withdraw services that are hazardous, reimbursement of the price paid, and discontinuation of the unfair trade practices, as defined in the Bill; (iii) issuing directions to the concerned trader/ manufacturer/ endorser/ advertiser/ publisher to either discontinue a false or misleading advertisement, or modify it; (iv) imposing penalties, and; (v) issuing safety notices to consumers against unsafe goods and services.
• Penalties for misleading advertisement: The CCPA may impose a penalty on a manufacturer or an endorser of up to Rs 10 lakh and imprisonment for up to two years for a false or misleading advertisement. In case of a subsequent offence, the fine may extend to Rs 50 lakh and imprisonment of up to five years.
• Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission: Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (CDRCs) will be set up at the district, state, and national levels.
• A consumer can file a complaint with CDRCs in relation to:(i) unfair or restrictive trade practices; (ii) defective goods or services; (iii) overcharging or deceptive charging; and (iv) the offering of goods or services for sale which may be hazardous to life and safety.
• Jurisdiction of CDRCs: The District CDRC will entertain complaints where value of goods and services does not exceed Rs one crore. The State CDRC will entertain complaints when the value is more than Rs one crore but does not exceed Rs 10 crore.  Complaints with value of goods and services over Rs 10 crore will be entertained by the National CDRC.
• Product liability: Product liability means the liability of a product manufacturer, service provider or seller to compensate a consumer for any harm or injury caused by a defective good or deficient service. To claim compensation, a consumer has to prove any one of the conditions for defect or deficiency, as given in the Bill.

Issues with the Bill:

• The Bill does not address the fundamental problem of protracted and complicated litigation, the bane of consumer forums constituted under the Consumer Protection Act of 1986. Instead, it provides an alternative to the consumer forums, in the form of mediation.
• The Bill does provide for a regulator, but there is no proper focus on the duties of the regulator.
• Even the definition of ‘consumer rights’ in the Bill is not simple and straight forward, so that consumers at least know what their entitlements are.

Source: Hindu, PRS

TESS

Topic: Science and Technology

In News: Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) discovered three planets revolving around a nearby star.

More on the Topic:

• One is a super-Earth, slightly bigger than our own planet. The other two are Neptune-like exoplanets, the likes of which you won’t find in our own solar system.
• The star is known as “TESS Object of Interest 270. The star is 40% smaller than our sun and is also about a third cooler. It hangs out 73 light-years away, which qualifies it as a neighbor.

About TESS:

• The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is a NASA mission that will look for planets orbiting the brightest stars in Earth’s sky. It was led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with seed funding from Google.
• Mission: The mission will monitor at least 200,000 stars for signs of exoplanets, ranging from Earth-sized rocky worlds to huge gas giant planets.This will help astronomers better understand the structure of solar systems outside of our Earth, and provide insights into how our own solar system formed.
• How it works: It will use transit method to detect exoplanets. It watches distant stars for small dips in brightness, which can indicate that planet has passed in front of them. Repeated dips will indicate planet passing in front of its star. This data has to be validated by repeated observations and verified by scientists.

Source: Hindu, NASA

Republic of Benin

Why in News: India offered $100 mn aid to Benin to meet sustainable development goals.

More on the Topic: 

• President Ram Nath Kovind visited Benin on the first leg of his three-nation visit to Africa.
• The President thanked the West African country for joining hands with India as stakeholders in the International Solar Alliance and strengthening the global fight against climate change and terrorism.
• Benin is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north.
• The capital of Benin is Porto-Novo, but the seat of government is in Cotonou.

Source: PIB and Wikipedia