Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams 25 August 2017
Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams 25 August 2017
::National::
Nine judges bench declares right to privacy as inherent part of fundamental rights
In a unanimous verdict, a nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court
on Thursday declared that privacy is intrinsic to life and liberty and an
inherent part of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.
The court held that privacy is a natural right that inheres in human beings
because they are human. The state does not bestow natural rights on citizens.
Natural rights like privacy exist equally in all individuals, irrespective of
class, strata, gender or orientation.
“Privacy is the constitutional core of human dignity. Privacy ensures the
fulfilment of dignity,” Justice D.Y. Chandrachud wrote.
The Centre had argued against the recognition of privacy as a fundamental right.
It had assured the court that privacy would be protected through parliamentary
statutes.
But the court retorted that statutory laws “can be made and also unmade by a
simple parliamentary majority.”
The court chided the Centre for describing right to privacy as an “elitist
construct.”
Over 40 years after the Supreme Court’s darkest hour when it said citizens had
no right to life and liberty during the Emergency period, a nine-judge Bench
condemned the decision in the infamous ADM Jabalpur case, better known as the
habeas corpus case, as “seriously flawed.”
Of the five judges on that Bench, only Justice H.R. Khanna dissented with the
majority opinion of then Chief Justice of India A.N. Ray, Justices M.H. Beg, Y.V.
Chandrachud and P.N. Bhagwati. Justice Khanna's dissent cost him the chief
justiceship.
Nine judges bench overruled judgement on Section 377
The nine-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday ripped apart its own
judgment of 2014 upholding Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which
criminalises consensual sexual acts of adults in private.
The Bench observed that the chilling effect of Section 377 “poses a grave danger
to the unhindered fulfilment of one’s sexual orientation, as an element of
privacy and dignity.”
In separate judgments, the Constitution Bench, led by Chief Justice of India J.S.
Khehar, concluded that the 2014 verdict by a two-judge Bench of the apex court
pandered to a “majoritarian” view.
They turn down the LGBT community their inherent fundamental rights of life,
personal liberty, equality and gender discrimination.
The 2014 judgment’s view that “a miniscule fraction of the country’s population
constitutes lesbians, gays, bisexuals or transgenders” was not a sustainable
basis to deny the right to privacy, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud observed in his
judgment.
Doklam issue didn’t feature in talks between India and Nepal
The two-month old standoff between India and China at Doklam did not feature
in the official talks between visiting Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba
and PM Modi, said officials, but India-China tensions were the highlight of an
event that followed, where Mr. Deuba and several Ministers were present.
‘No China threat’
“We have excellent relations with China and don’t face problems from them,” Mr.
Deuba told an audience at the event organised by the India Foundation here.
“India need not have any apprehensions about that. However, under no
circumstances would Nepal allow its soil to be used against India,” he added.
Mr. Deuba was responding to a speech by Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas
Paswan, who had alluded to problems that Nepal could face from its strong
northern neighbour.
Referring to the strain in ties between India and Nepal in 2015, when a blockade
during protests by Madhesi groups at the India Nepal border had cut essential
goods and fuel supplies to Kathmandu.
Mr. Deuba’s comments reflect the tightrope that Nepal has been attempting to
walk in the past few months, especially after it joined China’s Belt and Road
Initiative, which India had rejected.
China says it values Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan issue
China slammed India for apparently building a new road in the Ladakh sector,
but lavished praise on Pakistan, which it said was a key partner.
Ms. Hua’s comments come against the backdrop of a crisis in the Doklam plateau
near India-China-Bhutan tri-junction, where Indian and Chinese troops are
engaged in a standoff over road-building by China.
“Indian side is closely following China’s road-building recently but India’s
action itself has proven that the Indian side says something and does another,”
she added.
But quoting Mr. Yang, the spokesperson said: “We also value Pakistan’s role in
the Afghanistan issue and respect Pakistan’s sovereign and reasonable security
concerns.”
“Against the current backdrop we appreciate Pakistan’s efforts in insuring
security… in CPEC”.
::Business and Economy::
China wants to address growing trade imbalance with India
- China has agreed to send a high-level official team by December-end to address the issue of growing trade imbalance with India.
- The development could be termed a breakthrough for India which faces a ballooning goods trade deficit with its neighbour.
- China — which was earlier dilly-dallying on a bilateral meeting on the issue despite India’s repeated requests — has now relented.
- This assumes significance as it comes amid reports of the possibility of the ongoing Doklam stand-off hurting bilateral trade ties.
- The sources said China is keen to ensure that trade with India is not adversely affected by the prevailing military tension.
- In case of a full-fledged ‘trade war,’ China will have much to lose with
its goods exports to India in 2016-17 valued at a whopping $61.3 billion
against India’s shipments worth just $10.2 billion to that country.
The trade deficit was $52.7 billion in 2015-16. - Anti-dumping duty is in force on 93 products concerning imports from China, covering products in broad groups of chemicals and petrochemicals, products of steel and other metals, fibres and yarn, machinery items, rubber or plastic products, electric and electronic items and consumer goods.
- In addition, 40 cases concerning imports from China have been initiated by Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties.
Former RBI chairman says there are still several challenges to India’s growth story
- Former Reserve Bank of India governor DuvvuriSubbarao has said that there are several challenges that need to be addressed before Indian economy could take off. “India’s growth story is not inevitable,” he said.
- Delivering the inaugural anniversary lecture: ‘India: Will the Elephant start dancing?’ instituted by Bandhan Bank, Mr. Subbarao said RBI should not be required to step in to the day-to-day running of a bank.
- Speaking in the context of the proposed amendment in to the Banking Regulation Act, he said: “Does RBI have expertise in conducting banking business?”.
- He also observed that such extraordinary powers (proposed in this case to check NPAs) should come with a sunset clause.
- On demonetisation, he said that its long term benefits would be visible if it helped increased income tax collections.
- Mr. Subbarao pointed out that job creation and finding a solution to India’s problems in agriculture were two key deliverables.
- He said that India urgently needs a manufacturing revolution for job creation. “Jobs have to come from the manufacturing sector.. not only from the services sector.”
NitiAayog’s agenda has the potential to trigger much more economic activity
- Niti Aayog’s three-year action agenda has the potential to trigger much more economic activity and development in the country than we have today, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.
- “This publication (three year action agenda) really has the potential for becoming, for those in governance, a good textbook.
- If those in Centre or States keep in on their table and every time, they have some doubt as to what next step is to be taken, they glance through pages of this…they can find some unfinished agenda,” the Minister said.
- The government think tank, in its first three-year action agenda (2017-18 to 2019-20), which talks about reforms in the judiciary and social sectors, among other things.
- Therefore, the chances of a massive cut in poverty rate in the upcoming decade are excellent.”
- In its expenditure proposals for three years based on revenue forecasts, Niti Aayog recommended a massive increase in outlays on healthcare, defence and railways and road sectors.
Various changes to increase participation in UDAN
- The Civil Aviation Ministry announced increasing viability gap funding for helicopter operators, diluting exclusivity clause and relaxed other norms to facilitate more participation in its regional connectivity scheme, UDAN.
- The government announced that all 13 passenger seats for helicopters will be considered for subsidy under the scheme.
- States including, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, North Eastern region, Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands have been designated as priority areas.
- Airline operators flying from these priority areas will be allowed to operate 14 weekly departures as against the limit for seven weekly flights for other routes.
- The Ministry also abolished the 150-km minimum distance required between two airports to be qualified for operations under the scheme.
- It said airline operators may issue no-objection certificates to other airlines willing to operate on the same route.
