National Register of Citizens (NRC)

Why in news?

The Centre is all set to amend the rules that would enable residents whose names don’t feature in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to file an appeal before the Foreigners Tribunals in Assam.

About National Register of Citizens (NRC)

• The National Register of Citizens (NRC) contains names of Indian citizens of Assam. The NRC was prepared in 1951 after the Census of 1951.
• The NRC Updation of 2014–2016 across Assam includes the names of those persons (or their descendants) who appear in the NRC 1951, or in any of the Electoral Rolls up to the midnight of 24 March 1971 or in any one of the other admissible documents issued up to the midnight of 24 March 1971, which would prove their presence in Assam on or before 24 March 1971.
• As per directions of the Supreme Court, the Registrar General of India (RGI) is to publish the final draft list on July 30 to segregate Indian citizens living in Assam from those who had illegally entered the State from Bangladesh after March 25, 1971.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

Why in news?

Karnataka registered the biggest increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) last year, as inflows from overseas jumped 300% in the 12 months ended March 2018.

Performance of other states

• Tamil Nadu too saw a rebound reversing a slowdown in the preceding period, while Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh all saw a drop in FDI inflows, data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) presented in Parliament show.
• While Karnataka received $8.58 billion in 2017/18, a sharp increase from the $2.13 billion in the previous fiscal, Tamil Nadu netted $3.47 billion, a 56% increase from the $2.22 billion in the prior period, as the State appeared to buck concerns about the investment climate.
• Investment had halved in 2016/17 from the previous 12 months ($4.53 billion) in an election year that also saw some political uncertainty in the wake of then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation and demise. The data from the Chennai Regional Office of the RBI covers Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
• Other major States Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh saw a dip in FDI inflows
• Interestingly, the services sector, which comprises finance, banking, insurance and outsourcing among others, remained the top recipient of FDI despite seeing a 23% decline in inflows at $6.71 billion.

Privilege motion

Why in news?

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of misleading the Lok Sabha on the Rafale deal, the Congress has decided to bring a privilege motion against them.

About privilege motion

• It is concerned with the breach of parliamentary privileges by a minister.
• It is moved by a member when he feels that a minister has committed a breach of privilege of the House or one or more of its members by withholding facts of a case or by giving wrong or distorted facts.
• Its purpose is to censure the concerned minister.

National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill

Why in news?

The Lok Sabha passed the National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill to grant retrospective recognition to Central/State institutions that are conducting teacher education courses without NCTE approval

About bill

• The Bill amends the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993. The Act establishes the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
• The NCTE plans and co-ordinates the development of the teacher education system throughout the country.
• It also ensures the maintenance of norms and standards in the teacher education system.

Key features of the  Bill

1. Retrospective recognition of certain teacher education institutions: The Bill seeks to grant retrospective recognition to institutions:

• notified by the central government,
• funded by the central government or state/union territory government
• which do not have recognition under the Act
• which must have offered teacher education courses on or after the establishment of the NCTE until the academic year 2017-2018.

2. Retrospective permission to start new courses:The Bill also seeks to grant retrospective permission to start a new course or training in teacher education to institutions:

• notified by the central government
• funded by the central government or state/union territory government
• which have satisfied certain conditions required for the conduct of a new course or training in teacher education
• which must have offered teacher education courses on or after the establishment of the NCTE until the academic year 2017-2018.

Why amendment?

To ensure that the future of students studying in these institutions is not jeopardised.

Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill

Why in news?

To make roads safer, the Centre in consultation with State Transport Ministers came up with this Bill to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was passed by the Lok Sabha on April 10, 2017, and is pending in the Rajya Sabha

Salient features of the bill

• The new Bill takes into account taxi aggregators, third party insurance, computerisation of licensing authorities, and so on. It also provides for a National Road Safety Board.
• Anyone visiting their local Road Transport authority will understand how difficult it is to obtain a driving licence without the help of touts. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill seeks to redress this by taking the process online. Tests for driving licences will be automated, and learner’s licences will be issued online.
• The existing fines for breaking road rules have been increased in this Bill
• The Bill defines aggregators as “a digital intermediary or market place for a passenger to connect with a driver for the purpose of transportation.
• The new Bill provides for the recall of vehicles if the defective vehicle is a danger to the environment, the driver or other road users.
• The 1988 Act already has a Solatium Fund for victims of hit-and-run accidents, but the new Bill has also provided for another Fund. Earlier, the Bill said that the Fund would be credited with a cess or a tax, but that provision has now been removed, and instead the money will come either from the government, or from a grant or loan.
• The old Act provided RS12,000 for grievous injury and Rs25,000 for death, while the amendment Bill provides Rs50,000 for grievous injury and Rs2 lakh or more for death.