INDUSTRY

INDUSTRY

BestCurrentAffairs.com The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) was established in 1995 and was reconstituted in 2000 with the merger of the Department of Industrial Development. Earlier separate Ministries for Small Scale Industries & Agro and Rural Industries (SSI&A&RI) and Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises (HI&PE) were created in October, 1999. The Department was earlier called Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion; and was renamed DPIIT in 2019. In 2018, the matters related to e-Commerce were transferred to the Department and in 2019 the Department was given charge for matters related to internal trade, welfare of traders and their employees and Start-ups.  The Department also handles matters related to Protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and administers six Acts related to IPRs. It also handles matters related to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Investment by NRIs, and undertakes promotion of investment for industrial development of the country.  The Department is also responsible for Intellectual Property Rights relating to patents, designs, trade marks and Geographical indication of goods and oversees the initiative relating to their promotion and protection.  National Manufacturing Policy (NMP) was notified with the objective of enhancing the share of manufacturing in GDP to 25 per cent and creating 100 million jobs over a decade or so.  National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs) are an important instrumentality of the Policy.  The objective of the National Plan for Manufacturing Clusters is to bring about convergence in the multiple models of development of industrial clusters by the central and state governments so as to affect better cost efficiency and optimal utilization of resources.  DPIIT is the nodal department for formulation of the policy on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). It is also responsible for maintenance and management of data on inward FDI into India based on the remittances reported by the Reserve Bank of India.  After abolition of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), process for granting FDI approvals has been simplified wherein the work relating to processing of applications for FDI and approval of the government thereon under the extant FDI Policy and FEMA is now handled by the concerned ministries/departments. However, DIPP is a single point interface of the government to facilitate investors for FDI through approval route.  Make in India initiative was launched in September, 2014 as a national effort towards making India an important investment destination and a global hub for manufacturing, design and innovation. The programme is based on four pillars namely, new processes, new infrastructure, new sectors and new mindset.  Action plans were put in place for 21 sectors covering infrastructure, manufacturing and services.  The Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order 2017 (PPP-MII Order) was issued in 2017 pursuant to Rule 153 (iii) of the General Financial Rules 2017 as an enabling provision to promote domestic value addition in public procurement.  Under the PPP-MII Order, a Standing Committee, DPIIT has been constituted to review the implementation of order. A Public Procurement Cell has been created in the Department to monitor the grievances received for violation of PPPMII Order.  India ranks 77th in the World Bank’s annual Doing Business Report (DBR) 2019 as against 100th rank in the DBR 2018. The DBR ranks countries on the basis of Distance to Frontier, an absolute score that measures the gap between India and the global best practice on 10 specified indicators. India’s absolute score improved from 60.76 in DBR 2018 to 67.23 in DBR 2019.  The ease of doing business index is meant to measure regulations directly affecting businesses and a nation’s rank is based on the average of 10 indicators viz., starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency. States too have been brought on board in the process to expand the coverage of these efforts.  The assessment of Business Reforms Acton Plan, 2017-2018 was released jointly by DPIIT and the World Bank in 2018.  An 80-point Business Reforms Action Plan 2019 has been prepared and shared with states and UTs.  Launched in 2016, the startup India has rolled out several programmes with the objective of supporting entrepreneurs, building up a robust start up ecosystem and transforming India into a country of job creators instead of job seekers. These programmes are managed by a dedicated Startup India team, which reports to DPIIT. Under the Startup India Scheme, eligible companies can get recognized as startups by DPIIT in order to access a host of tax benefits, easier compliance, IPR fast tracking and other benefits.  Invest India has been set up as a joint venture (not for profit) company between Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), CII, NASSCOM and various state governments. Invest India is the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India and acts as the first point of reference for investors.  Project Monitoring Group (PMG), was set up in Cabinet Secretariat in 2013 and has recently been merged with DPIIT from 2019, with Invest India providing support. The PMG is now known as Project MonitoringInvest India Cell (PMIC).  Research Parks are being established at IIT Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Kharagpur, IISc Bangalore, Gandhinagar, Delhi and Bombay. India Year Book 2020 Synopsis [BestCurrentAffairs.com] Page No.70 © BestCurrentAffairs.com. All Rights Reserved. [For IAS Prelims 2020]

Book by BestCurrentAffairs.com for IAS Prelims 2020  With the aim to foster and facilitate bio-entrepreneurship, Bio-clusters, Bio-Incubators, Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) and Bio-Connect offices are being established in research institutes and universities across India. Seed fund and Equity Funding support is also provided to bio-tech Startups under the initiative. BestCurrentAffairs.com Startup India Hub was operationalized in 2016 to resolve queries and handhold Startups. A digital extension to Startup India Hub, an intelligent online hub was operationalized in 2017.  DPIIT is nodal department for administration of various laws related to Intellectual Property Rights: patents, trade marks, industrial designs, geographical indications of goods, copyrights, and semiconductor integrated circuit layout designs.  DPIIT also is the nodal department for dealing with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).  The office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM), a subordinate office under DPIIT, carries out statutory functions related to grant of patents and registration of trademarks, Designs and Geographical Indications. The registration of Copyrights is administered by the Registrar of Copyright Office, working under the CGPDTM. It functions out of offices situated in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Ahmedabad, while the Central IP Training Academy is at Nagpur.  The Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB), established in 2003, is the appellate tribunal to hear appeals against decisions of the Controller of Patents as also Registrar of Trade Marks and Geographical Indications. Under the Finance Act, 2017, the Copyright Board has also been merged in the IPAB. It is headquartered at Chennai.  The National Productivity Council (NPC) represents India in the Tokyo based Asian Productivity Organization (APO), of which India is a founder member.  The Quality Council of India, another autonomous body under this Department, promotes adoption of quality standards relating to Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001 Series), Environment Management Systems (ISO 14001 Series), Food Safety Management Systems (ISO 22000 Series), Product certification and inspection bodies through the accreditation services provided by National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB). Besides NABCB, there are four other boards viz., National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET); National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH); National Accreditation Board for Testing and calibration Laboratories (NABL); and National Board for Quality Promotion (NBQP) which provide accreditation certification on education, health and quality promotion respectively.  The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project was launched in pursuance of an MoU signed between the Government of India and the Government of Japan in 2006. The DMIC is being developed on either side, along the alignment of the 1504 km long Western Dedicated Rail Freight Corridor between Dadri (UP) and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Navi Mumbai.  The Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) is a key part of the east Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC), India’s first coastal corridor. VCIC is aligned with the Golden Quadrilateral and is poised to play a critical role in driving India’s Act East Policy.  In view of the success and importance of DMIC project, four more industrial corridors were assurance namely Amritsar - Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) Bengaluru - Mumbai Economic Corridor (BMEC), Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) and East Coast Economic corridor with Vizag -Chennai industrial corridor (VCIC) as the initial phase of development. It has been expanded and re-designated as National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT).  The National Design Policy was approved in 2007.  A Design Clinic Scheme project is being implemented by NID across the country.  Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, revised the base year of Index of Eight Core Industries to 2011-12. These eight industries have combined weight of around 40.27 per cent in Index of Industrial Production (IIP).  Indian Leather Development Programme (ILDP) aims at augmenting raw material base through modernization and technology upgradation of leather units.  Price and distribution control of cement has been removed since 1989 and cement industry was de-licensed in 1991 under Industrial (Development & Regulation) Act, 1951.  India is producing, different varieties of cement like Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), Portland Blast Furnace Slag Cement (PBFS), Oil Well Cement, White Cement, etc.  Cement cannot be sold in the country without BIS mark.  India is the second largest manufacturer of cement after China in the world.  India continues to rank No.3 in terms of production and consumption of tiles in the world after China and Brazil.  Quality (Control) Order for Pneumatic Tyres and Tubes for Automotive Vehicles was notified by the Department in 2009. This prohibits import, sale or distribution of pneumatic tyres and tubes which do not conform to the specified Bureau of Indian Standard and which do not bear the standard mark.  The cigarette industry is an agro-based labour intensive industry. Cigarette included in the First Schedule to the Industries (Development & Regulations) Act, 1951 requires industrial license.  As per the the present policy, FDI up to 100 per cent is allowed on the automatic route for the pulp and paper sector.  The per capita consumption of paper in India is about 13 kg, which is much lower than world average (58 kg).  The newsprint sector in the country is governed by the Newsprint Control Order (NCO), 2004. The mills listed under the schedule of this order are exempt from excise duty, subject to actual user condition. At present, there are 124 mills registered under the Schedule to the NCO.  India continues to hold third position in the production of salt in the world after China and USA with annual production of 260 lakh tonnes and second largest producer of iodized salt, next to China. India Year Book 2020 Synopsis [BestCurrentAffairs.com] Page No.71 © BestCurrentAffairs.com. All Rights Reserved. [For IAS Prelims 2020]

Book by BestCurrentAffairs.com for IAS Prelims 2020  Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a statutory body under the Ministry of Power has introduced energy efficiency based star rating for air conditioners to help consumers buy the best energy efficient products. BestCurrentAffairs.com Ministry of Environment and forest has issued a notification Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001 under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.  Indian foundry industry is the third largest in the world.  The salient feature of the foundry industry is its geographical clustering. Typically, each foundry cluster is known for catering to some specific end use markets. For example, the Coimbatore cluster is famous for pump sets castings, the Kolhapur and Belgaum for automotive castings, Rajkot cluster for diesel engine castings and Batala and Jalandhar for machinery parts and agricultural implements.  India is the second largest bicycle producer of the world, next only to China. Most of the manufacturing units are located in Punjab and Tamil Nadu with Ludhiana (Punjab) being a major bicycle production hub.  The Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, comprising the Department of Heavy Industry and the Department of Public Enterprises, functions under the charge of Cabinet Minister (Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises). There is a Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. The Ministry promotes the development and growth of three sectors i.e., capital goods, auto and heavy electrical equipment in the country; administers 31 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs); 5 Autonomous Organizations and frames policy guidelines for Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and overall administration of CPSEs.  The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act was notified in 2006 to address policy issues affecting MSMEs as well as the coverage and investment ceiling of the sector. The Act provides the first-ever legal framework for recognition of the concept of “enterprise” which comprises both manufacturing and service entities. It defines medium enterprises for the first time and seeks to integrate the three tiers of these enterprises, namely, micro, small and medium.  In 2007, subsequent to an amendment of the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, erestwhile Ministry of Small Scale Industries and the Ministry of Agro and Rural Industries were merged to form the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.  Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) established under the Act of Parliament (No. 61 of 1956), and as amended in 1987 and 2006 is a statutory organization under the Ministry of MSME The Coir Board is a statutory body established under the Coir Industry Act, 1953 The Indian textiles industry is one of the largest in the world with a large raw material base and manufacturing strength across the value chain.  The mill sector, with 3400 textile mills having installed capacity of more than 50 million spindles and 842000 rotors is the second largest in the world.  The textile industry contributes to 7 per cent of industry output in value terms of 2 per cent of India’s GDP and to 15 per cent of the country’s export earnings. With over 45 million people employed directly, this industry is one of the largest sources of employment generation in the country.  Indian handlooms have worldwide recognition through India Handloom Brand (IHB)  In India, about 97 per cent of the raw mulberry silk is produced in the five states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir. Three other commercially important types of silk fall into the category of non-mulberry silks namely: eri; tasar; and muga.  Cotton is one of the most important cash crops in India and the country accounts for around 25 per cent of the total global fibre production.  India has the largest area under cotton in the world with around 105 lakh hectares under cotton cultivation which is around 35 per cent of the world area.  To support the cotton industry, Government of India announces Minimum Support Price (MSP) for two basic staples groups viz., medium staple and long staple cotton. Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), a Public Sector Undertaking under the Textile Ministry, is the principal agency of Government of India for undertaking MSP operations in the event of prevailing seed cotton (kapas) price touching the MSP level.  India is the largest producer of jute in the world with an average production of about 80 lakh bales of raw jute annually. The Government of India provides support to the jute growers not only through MSP operation by the Jute Corporation of India but also through direct purchase of jute sacking valued at around ₹ 6000 crore annually for packing foodgrains by invoking provisions under the Jute Packaging Material (Compulsory Use in Packing Commodities) Act, 1987. This is a major support not only to the jute farmers but also to jute mill workers. A software platform “Jute-SMART” (Jute Sacking Supply Management & Requisition Tool) was implemented for procurement of jute sacking from 2016.  Jute - ICARE has been launched for increasing the income of jute farmers by at least 50 per cent through promotion of certified seeds, better agronomic practices and use of microbial retting of the jute plant.  Integrated Wool Development Programme, (IWDP) programme is to be implemented through Central Wool Development Board in major wool producting states in next three years. A programme for development of Pashmina sector in J&K was announced.  Weavers’ Mudra Scheme was launched to provide concessional credit to the handloom weavers. Margin Money Assistance to a maximum of ₹ 10,000 per weaver and credit guarantee for a period of 3 years is also provided.  Govt of India launched Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) and e-Dhaga mobile App in 2016 to bring efficiency in service delivery to the handloom weavers.  Steel industry has been a core pillar of industrial development in the country. India’s crude steel capacity has steadily risen to 142 MT at present and India has become the world’s second largest producer of steel (111 MT crude steel production in 2018).

Book by BestCurrentAffairs.com for IAS Prelims 2020  India was the 2nd largest crude steel producer (75.69 MT) with a 6.1 per cent share in total world production and a 4.4 per cent growth in production over the same period of 2018.  China produced 664.87 mt of crude steel during this period and remained the largest crude steel producer BestCurrentAffairs.com in the world, accounting for 75 per cent of Asian production and 54 per cent of world crude steel production.  The National Steel Policy (NSP) was launched in 2017.  The policy projects crude steel capacity of 300 MT, production of 255 MT and a robust finished steel per capita consumption of 160 kg by 2030-31, as against the current consumption of 74 kg.  A flagship initiative - Purvodaya was envisaged for an integrated steel hub in the Eastern states.  Department of Fertilizers comes under the ambit of Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.  The Department has one attached office under it, viz., Fertilizers Industry Coordination Committee (FICC). It also administers 9 Fertilizer Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).  The New Urea Policy-2015 was notified with the objectives of maximizing indigenous urea production.  Neem coating of urea (NCU) has been made mandatory for all the indigenous producers.  New Investment Policy was launched in 2013 to facilitate fresh investment in urea sector and to make India self sufficient in it.  Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited : Incorporated in 1961, FCI was re-organized along with National Fertilizers Corporation Ltd (NFCL) from 1978 into five companies namely, FCI, NFL, Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Ltd. (HFCL), Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd. (RCFL) and Projects and Development India Ltd. (PDIL). Following re-organisation, FCI comprised four units located at Sindri (Jharkhand), Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Ramagundam (Andhra Pradesh) and Talcher (Odisha), with a total annual capacity of 5.87 lakh MT of nitrogen besides an abandoned project at Korbe (Chhattisgarh).  The Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Limited (HFCL) was incorporated in 1978 as a result of the reorganization of the erstwhile Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL), and NFL Group of Companies. The HFCL comprised Barauni Unit (Bihar), Durgapur Unit and Haldia Project (West Bengal) and Namrup Unit (Assam). The Namrup Unit was hived off from 2002 to form a separate entity with the name of Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Ltd (BVFCL).  Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers Limited (RCF) was incorporated as a separate company in 1978 as a result of reorganization of the erstwhile Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited. At the time of its formation, the company had only one operating unit at Trombay (near Mumbai) and two major projects under implementation viz. Trombay-IV and Trombay-V expansion. The gas based Thal-Vaishet fertilizer complex about 100 kms from Trombay, was later implemented by RCF and it commenced commercial production in 1985.  National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) was incorporated in 1974 for setting up two nitrogenous plants, at Bathinda (Punjab) and Panipat (Haryana) with LSHS as fee stock, each having urea production capacity of 5.11 lakh MT per annum. Consequent upon the reorganization of the FCI, the Nangal Unit (including Nangal Expansion Project) of FCI was also transferred to NFL in 1978.  Projects and Development India Limited (PDIL), an erstwhile division of the Fertilizers Corporation of India was registered as a separate company in 1978. The company has its registered office at Noida, Uttar Pradesh.  Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACL) was incorporated in 1943. In 1947, FACL started production of ammonium sulphate with an installed capacity of 50,000 MT per annum at Udyogamandal, near Cochin (now Kochi). In 1980, FACL became a PSU and towards the end of 1982, the Government became the major shareholder.  Madras Fertilizers Limited (MFL) was incorporated in 1906 as a joint venture between GOI and AMOCO India Incorporation of USA (AMOCO) with GOI holding 51 per cent of the equity share capital in 1985, AMOCO disinvested their shares, which were purchased by GOI and NIOC in their respective proportions in 1985. The revised share holding pattern was: GOI 67.55 per cent and NIOC 32.45 per cent.  Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL) has two operating units at Namrup, Assam. Its corporate office is also situated at Namrup. The other establishments of the company are liaison offices at Noida and Kolkata and marketing offices at Guwahati, Siliguri and Patna.  FCI-Aravali Gypsum and Minerals India Limited was incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 as a public sector undertaking in 2003 after being hived off the Jodhpur Mining Organization (JMO) of Fertilizers Corporation of India Limited (FCIL).  The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals was under the Ministry of Industry until 1989, when it was brought under the Ministry of Petroleum and Chemicals. In 1991, the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals was transferred to the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.  In the chemical sector, 100 per cent FDI is permissible. Manufacture of most of the chemical and petrochemical products is delicensed.  The entrepreneurs need to submit an Industrial Entrepreneurs’ Memorandum (IEM) to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion provided no locational angle is applicable. Only the following items are covered in the compulsory licensing list because of their hazardous nature:- hydrocyanic acid and its derivatives; phosgene and its derivatives; and isocynates and di-isocynates of hydrocarbons.  Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals is implementing the three schemes under the National Policy on Petrochemicals:- (i) setting up of plastic parks; (ii) setting up of Centres of Ecellence in Polymer Technology; and (iii) national awards for technology innovation in petrochemical and downstream plastic processing industry.  The Petroleum Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Regions (PCPIR) Policy, is to promote the petroleum chemical and petrochemical sector in an integrated and environmental friendly manner on a large scale. The policy document put in place in 2007. India Year Book 2020 Synopsis [BestCurrentAffairs.com] Page No.73 © BestCurrentAffairs.com. All Rights Reserved. [For IAS Prelims 2020]

Book by BestCurrentAffairs.com for IAS Prelims 2020  Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited (HOCL) was incorporated in 1960 with the objective of attaining self-reliance in basic organic chemicals. The company has two manufacturing units located at Rasayani (Maharashtra) and Kochi (Kerala). The Rasayani unit (Phenol Complex) commenced BestCurrentAffairs.com production from 1987-88. HOCL is the sole manufacturer of strategically important N2O4 (Dinitrogen Tetroxide) in India which is supplied by the company to ISRO for its satellites launching programme. HOCL has a subsidiary company M/s Hindustan Fluorocarbons Limited (HFL) located at Rudraram, Telangana, which manufactures Poly tetra fluro ethylene (PTFE), a high tech engineering plastic, and chloro di-fluoro methane (CFM-22).  Hindustan Insecticide Limited (HIL) was incorporated in 1954 for manufacture and supply of DDT. In 1957, the company set up a factory at Udyogmandal, Kerala, for manufacture of DDT and in 1977 at Rasayani, Maharashtra, for manufacture of Malathion, an insecticide The third unit of HIL was set up at Bhatinda, Punjab, in 2003. Rasayani and Udyogmandal Plants have both DDT manufacturing and agrochemical manufacturing facilities while Bathinda has only formulations manufacturing and packaging facility. HIL is the sole supplier of DDT to the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India. DDT accounts for almost 50 per cent of the company’s turnover. The company exports DDT to some African countries and other products like malathion and mancozeb to countries like Brazil and Argentina.  It has got the status of National Level Seed Agency (NLA) from the Union Ministry of Agriculture and is producing and supplying seeds under Govt. sponsored schemes like National Food Security Mission (NFSM), National Mission on Oilseed and Oil Palm (NMOOP) and Mission on Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).  Hindustan Fluorocarbons Ltd. (HFL), a subsidiary company of Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd. (HOCL), was incorporated in 1983. It is located at Rudraram, District Medak, Telangana. The company started production in 1987 and is engaged in the manufacture of Poly Tetra Fluoro Ethylene (PTFE) and of Chloro Di Fluoro Methane (CFM-22). PTFE is extensively used in chemical, mechanical, electrical and electronic industries and has strategic applications in defence and aerospace sectors. CFM-22 is used as a refrigerant and for production of PTFE.  The Assam Gas Cracker Project (AGCP) was initiated in pursuance of the Memorandum of Settlement signed between central government, All Assam Students Union (AASU) and All Assam Gana Parished (AAGP) in 1985. This project is of economic significance for Assam and the North East Region. The AGCP was dedicated to the nation in 2016.  Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET), a premier 15 9001:2008 QMS, ISO/IEC 17025, ISO/IEC-17020 certified Plastics Institute under the aegis of Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, was established in 1968.  Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology (IPFT) was established in 1991 as an autonomous institution under the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals. IPFT is a NABL accredited laboratory for testing of pesticides.  The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemials was under the Ministry of Industry until 1989, when it was brought under the Ministry of Petroleum and Chemicals. In 1991, the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals was transferredto the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.  The Department notified the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy-2012 (NPPP-2012) in 2012 with the objective to put in place a regulatory framework for pricing of drugs to ensure availability of required medicines - “essential medicines” - at reasonable prices  Subsequently, to implement the NPPP-2012, the new Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 was notified in 2013 to control the prices of specified dosages and strengths as under National List of Essential Medicines2011(NLEM-2011). This was modified to include medicines included in NLEM-2015in 2016.  The Jan Aushadhi Scheme was launched in 2008 with the aim of selling affordable generic medicines through dedicated sales outlets i.e., Jan Aushadhi Stores in various districts across the country.  The first Jan Aushadhi Store was opened at Amritsar in Punjab in 2008. The original target of the campaign was to establish Jan Aushadhi Stores in every district of our country. Recently, “Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana” (PMJAY) has been renamed as “Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana” (PMBJP) and “Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendra” (PMJAK) as “Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra” (PMBJK).  Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited (IDPL) was incorporated in 1961 with the primary objective of creating self-sufficiency in essential life saving drugs and medicines. The company has presently three manufacturing plants, one each at Rishikesh (Uttarakhand), Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) and Gurgaon (Haryana). IDPL has two wholly owned subsidiaries, namely, IDPL Ltd., Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Bihar Drugs and Organic Chemicals Ltd. at Muzaffarpur (Bihar).  In addition, IDPL has two joint sector undertakings, promoted in collaboration with the respective state governments. These are Rajasthan Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (RDPL), Jaipur, and Orissa Drugs and Chemicals Ltd. (ODCL), Bhubaneshwar.  Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Limited (BCPL) was a sick company in the private sector in the name and style of Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Works. A new public sector company in the name and style of Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Limited (BCPL) was incorporated in 1961.The company has four manufacturing units-one each at Maniktala at Kolkata, Panihati at North 24 Parganas (West Bengal), one at Mumbai (Maharashtra) and at Kanpur (UP).  Ministry of Mines is responsible for survey and exploration of all minerals, other than natural gas, petroleum and atomic minerals; for mining and metallurgy of non-ferrous metals like aluminium, copper, zinc, lead, gold, nickel, etc. and for administration of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957 and rules made thereunder in respect of all mines and minerals other than coal, India Year Book 2020 Synopsis [BestCurrentAffairs.com] Page No.74 © BestCurrentAffairs.com. All Rights Reserved. [For IAS Prelims 2020]

Book by BestCurrentAffairs.com for IAS Prelims 2020 natural gas and petroleum as well as Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002 and rules made thereunder.  The Central Act to provide for the development and regulation of mines and minerals is the Mines and BestCurrentAffairs.com Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, which came into force in 1958. Section 13 of the MMDR Act empowers the central government to formulate rules for regulation of grant of mineral concessions for major minerals; in accordance of which Mineral Concession Rules, 1960 have been framed. Section 18 of MMDR Act, 1957 empowers the Central Government to frame rules for the conservation and systematic development of minerals and for the protection of environment in accordance of which Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, 1988 have been framed. Section 15 of MMDR Act, 1957 empowers state governments to frame rules for regulating the grant of quarry leases, mining leases or other mineral concessions in respect of minor minerals; accordingly all state governments and some union territories have framed their own rules in this regard.  The Government notified National Mineral Exploration Trust Rules, 2015 and has also established National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) in pursuance of subsection (1) of Section 9C of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 1957  The government launched Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) which is to be implemented by the district mineral foundations of the respective districts. PMKKKY will help in creating a congenial mining environment.  The monitoring of PMKKKY would be done under “DISHA”, the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee of Ministry of Rural Development to promote synergy and convergence for greater impact.  Government unveiled National Mineral Exploration Policy, 2016 (NMEP) which spells out the strategy and outlines the action plan that the Government will adopt to ensure comprehensive exploration of country’s mineral resources (non-fuel and non-coal). The Ministry has developed a Transparency, Auction, Monitoring and Resource Augmentation (TAMRA) portal and mobile application.  The Ministry of Mines launched in 2016 Scheme of Star Rating of Mines/ mining leases for implementation of Sustainable Development Framework (SDF).  To curb the menace of illegal mining, a satellite-based monitoring system namely Mining Surveillance System (MSS), was developed and launched.  The classification of reserves/resources of various minerals based on United Nations Framework Classification (UNFC) was done in April 2010 following which National Mineral Inventory was prepared. MINERALS QUANTITY IN MILLION TONNES AREAS Bauxite 3897 Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra Chromite 344 95% resources are located in Odisha, mostly in the Sukinda valley in Cuttack and Jaipur districts. Remaining in Manipur, Karnataka Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh. Copper 1511 Rajasthan (largest producer), Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand Gold 527 Kolar & Hutti Gold Field in Raichur district (both in Karnataka). Ramgiri Gold Field in Anantpur district (Andhra Pradesh). The resources include place-type gold ore in Kerala estimated at 26.12 million tonnes. Largest resources of gold ore (primary) are located in Bihar followed by Karnataka, Rajashtan, West Bangal, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, etc. While in terms of metal content Karnataka remained on the top followed by Rajasthan, West Bengal, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. Hematite 22487 Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnatak, Goa Magnetite 10978 Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu Lead-Zinc 749 Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Meghalaya. Manganese 496 Orissa, Karnataka, MP, Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh Nickel 189 mt Orissa, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Karnataka Tungsten 87 mt Degana (Rajasthan), Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra

Book by BestCurrentAffairs.com for IAS Prelims 2020 Barytes 86 mt The Mangamper deposit in Andhra Pradesh is the single largest barytes deposit in the world. BestCurrentAffairs.com Rajasthan, West Bengal, MP, Tamil Nadu, HP, Maharashtra. Diamond 31.8 Carats Panna belt in Madhya Pradesh, Munimadugu-Banganapalle in Kurnool district, Wajrakarur in Anantpur district and the gravels of Krishna river basin in Andhra Pradesh. (Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh) Dolomite 8415 MP,AP, Chattisgarh, Odisha, KN, Gujarat etc. Fireclay 723 Jharia and Raniganj coalfields in Jharkhand and West Bengal, Korba coalfield in Chhattisgarh and Neyveli Lignite field in Tamil Nadu. (Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Gujarat) Fluorspar 18 Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh Gypsum 1330 Rajasthan, J&K, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Graphite 194 AP, JK, Jharkhand, TN. (In terms of reserves, Jharkhand has leading share of about 52% followed by Tamil Nadu 41%. Ilmenite 355 Occurs mainly in beach sand deposits right from Ratnagiri (Maharashtra) to coast in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Odisha. Kaolin 2941 Also known as China Clay. Found in Kerla, WB, Rajasthan, Odisha, KN etc. Kyanite and Sillimanite 105 Kyanite: Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand. Sillimanite: Tamil Nadu and Odisha (25 per cent each), Uttar Pradesh (16 percent), Andhra Pradesh (13 per cent), Kerala (10 per cent) and Assam (7 per cent). Limestone 203225 Karnataka is the leading state followed by Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Meghalaya, and Chhattisgarh. Mica 635602 Tonnes Andhra Pradesh leads with 40% share in country‘s total resources followed by Rajasthan (28 per cent) Odisha (16 per cent), Maharashtra (13 per cent), Bihar (2 per cent) and balance (less than 1 per cent) in Jharkhand and Telangana. Magnetite 394 Uttarakhand (59 per cent), followed by Rajasthan (14 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (25 per cent). Occurrences of magnesite in Tamil Nadu are low in lime and high in silica whereas those of Uttarakhand are high in lime and low in silica. Phosphates 24mt Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. OTHER MINERALS Bentonite Rajasthan, Gujarat, TN, Jharkhand Corundum Karnataka, AP, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu Calcite AP, Rajasthan, MP, Tamil Nadu Fullers earth Rajasthan, AP, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam. Garnet TN, Odisha, AP Pyrites Bihar, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh Steatite Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Kerala Wollastonite Rajasthan, Gujarat Zircon Beach sand of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, AP and Odisha Slate MP, AP Granite Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh Sandstone Rajasthan Marble Rajasthan

Book by BestCurrentAffairs.com for IAS Prelims 2020  Geological Survey of India (GSI) the premier earth science organization of the country, is the principal provider of basic earth science information to the Government, Industry and the geoscientific sector. Beginning in 1851 as a department engaged primarily in research for coal, GSI in its last BestCurrentAffairs.com 163 years of existence has expanded its activities manifold.  GSI launched, in 2017, an Online Core Business Integrated System (OCBIS) which is a state-of-the-art IT enabled system encapsulating all the main activities of GSI using an online digital platform.  Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) established in March, 1948, is a multi- disciplinary scientific and technical organisation under Ministry of Mines.  The Indian Bureau of Mines performs regulatory functions under the relevant provisions of the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 amended in 2015 and rules made there undernamely enforcement of the Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, 2017, Minerals (Other than Atomic and Hydro Carbon Energy Minerals) Concession Rules, 2016 and other new rules and Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986 and Rules made thereunder.  The Ministry of Mines has three Public Sector Undertaking (PSUs) under its administrative control. National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) are operating in the field of mining and mineral processing, and Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) is operating in the field of mineral exploration.  National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) is a Navratna CPSE under Ministry of Mines. It was established in 1981 in the public sector, with its registered office at Bhubaneswar.  NALCO is one of the largest integrated Bauxite-Alumina-Aluminium- Power Complex in the country.  NALCO is the first Public Sector Company in the country to venture into international market in a big way with London Metal Exchange (LME) registration since 1989. The Company is listed at Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) since 1992 and National Stock Exchange (NSE) since 1999. Besides, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18000 and SA 8000 certification; the Company has also adopted ISO 50001 standards for energy management system.  Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL), a Mini Ratna Government of India Enterprise under the administrative control of the Ministry of Mines, was incorporated in 1967 under the Companies Act,1956.  Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) a Miniratna Company is a premier mineral exploration Public Sector Undertaking of the country with ISO 9001-2008 certification. Since its inception in 1972, it has completed over 1371 projects of detailed mineral exploration and mine development and has added 160 billion tonnes of mineral resources to the National Mineral Inventory.  National Institute of Rock Mechanics (NIRM) is the only institution in south Asia exclusively devoted to research in rock mechanics.  National Institute of Miners’ Health, Nagpur (NIMH) is an autonomous institute established under Ministry of Mines, with the objective of promotion of occupational health and prevention of occupational diseases among the persons employed in mining and mineral based industries.  The Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC), Nagpur is a Centre of Excellence set up in 1989 as a joint venture of Ministry of Mines, Government of India and UNDP with a view to provide major R&D support system for the emerging modern aluminium industry in India. The Centre became functional since 1996. The Centre is recognized as scientific and industrial research organization by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. It is the only institute of its kind in India pursuing the cause of R&D from bauxite to finished product under one roof.

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LAW AND JUSTICE

BestCurrentAffairs.comMinistry of Law and Justice is the oldest limb of the Government of India dating back to 1833 when the Charter Act,1833 was enacted by the British Parliament. The said Act vested for the first time legislative power in a single authority, namely the Governor General of Council. By virtue of this authority and the authority vested under him under section 22 of the Indian Councils Act, 1861 the Governor General in Council enacted laws for the country from 1834 to 1920.  After the commencement of the Government of India Act, 1919 the legislative power was exercised by the Indian Legislature constituted there under. The Government of India Act, 1919 was followed by the Government of India Act, 1935. With the passing of the Indian Independence Act, 1947 India became a Dominion and the Dominion Legislature made laws from 1947 to 1949 under the provisions of section 100 of the Government of India Act, 1935 as adapted by the India (Provisional Constitution) Order, 1947. Under the Constitution of India which came into force on the January 26, 1950 the legislative power is vested in Parliament.  Ministry of Law and Justice comprises the three Departments namely the Department of Legal Affairs, the Legislative Department and the Department of Justice.  The main sources of law in India are the Constitution, statutes (legislation), customary law and case law.  Statutes are enacted by Parliament, state legislatures and union territory legislatures. Besides, there is a vast body of laws known as subordinate legislation in the form of rules, regulations as well as bye- laws made by central/state governments and local authorities like municipal corporations, municipalities, gram panchayats and other local bodies. This subordinate legislation is made under the authority conferred or delegated either by Parliament or state or union territory legislatures concerned. Judicial decisions of superior courts like Supreme Court and High Courts are important sources of law. Decisions of the Supreme Court are binding on all courts within the territory of India. Local customs and conventions which are not against statute, morality, etc., are also recognised and taken into account by courts while administering justice in certain spheres.  Panchayat Courts also function in some states under various names like Nyaya Panchayat, Panchayat Adalat, Gram Kachehri, etc., to decide civil and criminal disputes of petty and local nature. Different state laws provide for jurisdiction of these courts.  The highest court in each district is that of District and Sessions Judge. This district court is the principal court of civil jurisdiction and can try all offences including those punishable with death. He is the highest judicial authority in a district. Below him, there are courts of civil jurisdiction, known in different states as Munsifs, Sub-Judges, Civil Judges and the like. Similarly, criminal courts comprise Chief Judicial Magistrate and Judicial Magistrate of First and Second class.  During the British regime, the King in Council, or Privy Council as it was generally called, was the highest forum to entertain appeals from the judgments and orders passed by the courts in India. On enactment of the Judicial Committee Act, 1833, it came to be called the Judicial Committee of Privy Council. The decisions of the Judicial Committee used to be couched in advisory form, though, in practice, the Crown always accepted its advice, and it was unthinkable that its report will not be given effect to. The Privy Council acted as a channel, through which English concepts came to be assimilated with Indian laws. It served as a bridge between the Indian and the English legal system, over which legal ideas travelled from England to India. It was through this body, that the common law of England was introduced in India under the British regime, as the base of its legal system. During its career as the highest court of appeals from India for the period of about 200 years, Privy Council rendered over 2,500 judgments, and till today these judgments constitute the fountain-source of law on many points in India.  However, there was a rising demand for establishment of Supreme Court in India, since it was felt that appeal to the Privy Council was very costly and beyond the means of common man. More important was the reason that it detracted from the self respect of the Indian people. Government of India Act, 1935 introduced a federal constitution to India, involving distribution of powers between the Centre and the constituent units. The Federal Court of India began functioning from October 01, 1937.  To begin with, Federal Court had a very limited jurisdiction, confined to original jurisdiction in disputes between the centre and constituent units or inter se amongst the latter, advisory jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction on a certificate from the High Court. Appeals from Federal Court could go to the Privy Council, from the judgments rendered in exercise of original jurisdiction, or by leave of the Federal Court or the Privy Council. In cases involving interpretation of Constitution, the parties had to first go to Federal Court in appeal from the High Court, and in other cases appeals from the High Courts lay directly to the Privy Council. It could give advice on such questions of public importance, as were referred to it by the Governor General, in his discretion.  The appellate jurisdiction of the Federal Court was enlarged by enactment of Act No. 1 of 1948 and appeals were provided to Federal Court from the judgment of the High Court in the same circumstances, in which appeals could be brought to the Privy Council, without any special leave and also by special leave of the Federal Court in any other case. However, appeals to the Privy Council were still possible by leave of the Federal Court or of the Council.  After achieving independence in August, 1947, there was demand from the Indian polity for enlarging the jurisdiction of Federal Court and granting more powers to it. From 1949 appeals to the Privy Council were abolished altogether and the entire appellate jurisdiction was vested in the Federal Court. On January 26,

Book by BestCurrentAffairs.com for IAS Prelims 2020 1950, Federal Court gave way to the Supreme Court of India under the new Constitution. Supreme Court of

India is located on Tilak Marg, New Delhi.  After its inauguration on January 28, 1950, the apex court commenced its sittings in a part of the BestCurrentAffairs.com Parliament House. The Court moved into the present building on August 4, 1958. The original Constitution of 1950 envisaged a Supreme Court with a Chief Justice and 7 puisne Judges - leaving it to Parliament to increase this number. In the early years, all the Judges of the Supreme Court sat together to hear the cases presented before them. As the work of the Court increased and arrears of cases began to cumulate, Parliament increased the number of Judges from 7 in 1950 to 10 in 1956, 13 in 1960, 17 in 1977, 25 in 1986 and 30 in 2009. As the number of the Judges has increased, they sit in smaller Benches of two and three—coming together in larger Benches of 5 and more only when required to do so or to settle a difference of opinion or controversy.  The Supreme Court of India comprises the Chief Justice and 30 other Judges appointed by the President of India. Supreme Court Judges retire upon attaining the age of 65 years. In order to be appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court, a person must be a citizen of India and must have been, for at least five years, a Judge of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession, or an Advocate of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession for at least 10 years or he must be, in the opinion of the President, a distinguished jurist. Provisions exist for the appointment of a Judge of a High Court as an ad hoc Judge of the Supreme Court and for retired Judges of the Supreme Court or High Courts to sit and act as Judges of Supreme Court.  The Constitution seeks to ensure the independence of Supreme Court Judges in various ways. A Judge of the Supreme Court cannot be removed from office except by an order of the President passed after an address in each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of members present and voting, and presented to the President in the same Session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. A person who has been a Judge of the Supreme Court is debarred from practising in any court of law or before any other authority in India.

BestCurrentAffairs.com The proceedings of the Supreme Court are conducted in English only. Supreme Court Rules, 2013 replacing the 1966 Rules, have been framed under Article 145 of the Constitution to regulate the practice and procedure of the Supreme Court. Justice Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde is the 47th Chief Justice of India.  High Court stands at the head of the state’s judicial administration. There are 24 High Courts in the country, three having jurisdiction over more than one state. Among the union territories, Delhi alone has a High Court of its own. Other six union territories come under the jurisdiction of different state High Courts. Each High Court comprises a Chief Justice and such other Judges as the President may, from time to time, appoint. The Chief Justice of a High Court is appointed by the President in consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the Governor of the state. The procedure for appointing the High Court judges is the same except that the recommendation for the appointment of Judges in the High Court is initiated by the Chief Justice of the High Court concerned.  They hold office up to 62 years of age. To be eligible for appointment as a judge, one must be a citizen of India and should have held a judicial office in India for 10 years or must have practised as an advocate of a High Court or two or more such courts in succession for a similar period.  The structure and functions of subordinate courts are more or less uniform throughout the country. Designations of courts connote their functions. These courts deal with all disputes of civil or criminal nature as per the powers conferred on them. These courts follow two important codes prescribing procedures, i.e., the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 and the Code of Criminal Procedure, Cr. P.C., 1973 and further strengthened by state level amendments. As per direction of Supreme Court in WP (Civil) 1022/1989 in the All India Judges Association case, a uniform designation has been brought about in the subordinate judiciary’s judicial officers all over the country, viz., District or Additional District Judge, Civil Judge (Senior Division) and Civil Judge (Junior Division) on the civil side and on criminal side, Sessions Judge, Additional Sessions Judge, Chief Judicial Magistrate and Judicial Magistrate, etc., as laid down in the Cr.P.C. Appropriate adjustment, if any, has been made in existing posts by indicating their equivalent with any of these categories by all state governments/UT administrations. Under Article 235 of the Constitution of India, the administrative control over the members of subordinate judicial service vests with the concerned High Court. Further in exercise of powers conferred under provision to Article 309 read with Articles 233 and 234 of the Constitution, the state government shall frame rules and regulations in consultation with the High Court exercising jurisdiction in relation to such state. The members of the State Judicial Services are governed by these rules and regulations.  National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms was set up in 2011 with the twin objectives of increasing access by reducing delays and arrears in the system and enhancing accountability through structural changes and by setting performance standards and capacities.  Department of Legal Affairs have formulated National Litigation Policy, 2015, which is under active consideration of the government.  The judge-population ratio in the country, taking into account sanctioned strength of judges at all levels now stands at about 19.61 judges per one million of the population.  A centrally sponsored scheme has been in place since 1993-94 to assist the states for the development of judicial infrastructure. It covers the construction of court buildings and residential accommodation of judicial officers. Until 2011, the central and state governments used to contribute an equal share under the scheme but from 2011- 12 onwards the central government was contributing 75 per cent of the funds. In the case of states in the north eastern states the central government provides 90 per cent of the funding. Central funding is, however, subject to budgetary allocation for the scheme.  The e-Courts Integrated Mission Mode Project is one of the e-Governance projects being implemented in High Courts and district/subordinate courts of the country. The project has been conceptualized on the basis of the “National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology in the Indian Judiciary-2005” by the e-Committee of the Supreme Court of India. The e-Committee was formed in 2004 to draw up an action plan for the ICT enablement of the Judiciary with the Patron in Chief-cum-Adhoc Chairman as the Chief Justice of India..  In partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Department of Justice (DoJ), Ministry of Law and Justice, is implementing a decade long programme on Access to Justice for Marginalised People (2008- 2017). The project extends to the eight UNDAF states of Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha. India Year Book 2020 Synopsis [BestCurrentAffairs.com] Page No.80 © BestCurrentAffairs.com. All Rights Reserved. [For IAS Prelims 2020]

Book by BestCurrentAffairs.com for IAS Prelims 2020  Department of Legal Affairs is the nodal department for reciprocal arrangement with foreign countries for enforcement of arbitral awards pursuant to the New York Convention under section 44(b) of the

Arbitration and Concilliation Act, 1996. The department of Legal Affairs is the Central Authority under BestCurrentAffairs.com the Hague Convention of 1965 for service aboard of judicial and extra-judicial documents in civil and commercial matters. Under this obligation, around 9309 requests have been processed since May, 2014 till May, 2017.  Draft National Litigation Policy 2017 proposes to put in place a system which prevents, controls and reduces litigation.  Department of Legal Affairs, constituted a high level committee to review Institutionalization of Arbitration Mechanism in India, under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Justice Shri B. N. Srikrishna. The report of this Committee has been submitted to the Minister for Law and Justice in July, 2017.  The Appellate Tribunal for Foreign Exchange was established in 2000 under Section 18 of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999. Under Section 19 of FEMA, the central government or any person aggrieved by an order made by Special Director (Appeals), or made by an Adjudicating Authority other than referred to in sub-Section (i) of Section 17, may prefer an appeal to the Appellate Tribunal that may be filed within 45 days from the date of receiving the order by the aggrieved person or the central government.  Section 20 of FEMA provides that the Appellate Tribunal shall consist of a Chairperson and such number of members as the Central Government may deem fit. The jurisdiction of the Appellate Tribunal may be exercised by the Benches. The Bench may be constituted by the Chairperson, with one or more Members as the Chairperson deems fit. The Benches of the Appellate Tribunal shall ordinarily sit in New Delhi and at such other places as the Central Government may, in consultation with the Chairperson, notify and the Chairperson may transfer a Member from one Bench to another.  A person who is qualified to be a Judge of a High Court or is or has been a Judge of High Court can be appointed as Chairperson of the Tribunal and a person who has been or is qualified to be a District Judge can be appointed as a Member of the Tribunal. Under Section 49 sub-Section (5) clause (b), all appeals which were pending before PERA Board have been transferred and are at the disposal of the Appellate Tribunal constituted under Foreign Exchange Management Act.  Police set up in big cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Pune, etc., is directly under a Commissioner of Police who enjoys magisterial powers.  The ITBP was raised in the wake of Chinese aggression in 1962 with a modest strength of 4 Bns under an integrated ‘guerilla-cum-intellgence-cum- fighting Force’ self-contained in supplies, communication and intelligence collection. It has evolved with passage of time into a conventional border guarding Force. Today, ITBPF guards 3,488 kms of Indo-China Border  ITBP is basically a mountain trained force and most of the officers and men are professionally trained mountaineers and skiers. They have scaled more than 180 Himalayan peaks including Mt. Everest four times including the 2012 expedition.  International borders of India with Pakistan both east and west were being manned by the respective state police forces till Indo-Pak war in September, 1965. Certain inherent shortcomings of this arrangement came to light during the war and it was decided to have one single force under the Union of India for guarding the international borders with Pakistan. Border Security Force was raised in 1965.  The Force Headquarter is in New Delhi.  The Assam Rifles raised as Catchar Levy in 1835 is the oldest Central Para Military Force in India.  Their long association with the region reflects in the force being fondly called “The Sentinel of the NorthEast” and “Friends of the Hill People” security in the north-eastern region and guarding the Indo-Myanmar border.  It has its headquarters at Shillong and the Force is completely deployed in the North East for guarding the Indo-Myanmar Border, spread over 1,631 kilometers. It functions under the control of Ministry of Home Affairs.  The need for creating a special force for executing surgical operations based on tactical intelligence was felt in India when Operation Blue Star was carried out by the army at the Golden Temple, Amritsar in 1984. National Security Guard (NSG) was conceptualised and created after studying and analysing Special Force like SAS in the United Kingdom, GIGN in France, GSG-9 in Germany, Shar-et-matkal in Israel and Delta Force in the USA. Accordingly, NSG was raised in October, 1985 as a Federal Contingency Force under the MHA.  53 per cent of the personnel are drawn from the army while the central armed police like BSF, CRPF and ITBP contribute 47 per cent.  NSG’s motto of Sarvatra Sarvottam Suraksha.  The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was formed in July 1939 at Neemuch as the Crown Representative’s Police. After independence it was renamed as the Central Reserve Police Force and Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, the then Home Minister had visualized a multi-dimensional role for it.  It was the CRPF which bore the brunt of the first onslaught of the Chinese aggression at Hot Springs in Ladakh in 1959 when a small CRPF patrol was ambushed and heavily out-numbered by the Chinese army. In the ensuing battle, 10 CRPF men laid down their lives. Every year 21st October is observed as the Police Commemoration Day.  The force proved its mettle in 1965 when a small contingent of Second Bn CRPF, successfully fought and repulsed an attack by a Pakistani Brigade on 9th April at Sardar Post in Gujarat, killing 34 Pakistani soldiers and capturing 4 alive.  9th April is now befittingly celebrated as “Valour Day” in the Force.  The CRPF has also been deployed internationally at Kosovo, Haiti and Sri Lanka.

Book by BestCurrentAffairs.com for IAS Prelims 2020  For the first time in the history of UN, a fully formed women’s unit is posted in Liberia as a part of

United Nations Peacekeeping Mission.  It is the only Central Armed Police Force in the country which has 3 Mahila Battalions. The bulk of the force is BestCurrentAffairs.com deployed in Jammu and Kashmir; left wing extremism affected states and in north-eastern states to tackle terrorist and insurgent activities. It presently has 10 Cobra units, a specially trained force to fight the naxal means.  In 1992, 10 Battalions of CRPF were reorganized and converted into 10 battalions of 4 coys each of Rapid Action Force (RAF).  In order to effectively tackle the Maoists, the need for a Special Force, capable of striking at the core of naxal heartland was felt. With this idea, ten CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) battalions were raised between 2008 and 2011.  Raised in 1969, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is providing security cover to 303 units including 59 domestic and international airports and fire protection cover to 87 industrial undertakings.  CISF is currently providing security cover to 308 units which include atomic power plants, space installations, defence production units, mines, oil fields and refineries, major sea ports, heavy engineering steel plants, fertilizer units, airports, hydro electric/thermal power plants, sensitive government buildings and even heritage monuments (including the Taj Mahal and Red Fort) and also iconic private sector units. The Force is also one of the largest fire protection service providers in the country. It provides fire protection cover to 86 industrial undertakings. CISF has been inducted into Ratnagiri Gas and Thermal Power Station Ltd., Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Project, Hissar, Haryana. The specialized task of airport security was assigned to CISF in the wake of hijacking of Indian Airlines plane to Kandhar.  The “Sashastra Seema Bal” (SSB) is the newest border guarding force of Union of India entrusted with the guarding of Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders. “Sashastra Seema Bal” is guarding IndoNepal border since 2001 and was also given the additional responsibility of guarding Indo-Bhutan border in 2004. Sashastra Seema Bal came into existence under the name Special Service Bureau in early 1963 in the wake of Indo-China conflict.  The Amendment to the Civil Defence Act, 1968 accorded legal sanction to the additional role of the Civil Defence constituents in the field of disaster mangement. Civil Defence is primarily organized on voluntary basis except for a small nucleus of paid staff and establishment which is augmented during emergencies.  The training of master trainers and specialized training is conducted at the National Civil Defence College, Nagpur.  Home Guards is a voluntary force, first raised in India in December, 1946.  In the wake of Chinese aggression in 1962, the Centre advised the states and union territories to merge their existing voluntary organisations into one uniform voluntary force known as Home Guards. The role of Home Guards is to serve as an auxiliary to the police in maintenance of internal security, help the community in any kind of emergency such as an air-raid, fire, cyclone, earthquake, epidemic, etc.  In border States, Border Wing Home Guard Battalions have also been raised, which serve as an auxiliary to the Border Security Force.  The organisation is spread over in all the states and union territories except in Kerala.  Home Guards are raised under the Home Guards Act and rules of the states/union territories.  All citizens of India, who are in the age group of 18-50, are eligible to become members of Home Guards. Normal tenure of membership in Home Guards is 3 to 5 years.  “Fire Services” is a state subject and has been included as a municipal function in the XII schedule of the Constitution of India in terms of Article 243- W.  The 13th Finance Commission recognizing the need to restructure Fire and Emergency Services across the country has recommended that a portion of the grants provided to the urban local bodies should be spent on revamping of fire services within their respective jurisdiction. Further the Finance Commission has also recommended that all municipal corporations with a population of more than 1 million (2001 census) must put in place a fire hazard response and mitigation plan for their respective areas.  The subject matter of personal laws is relatable to entry 5 of List III- Concurrent list in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India and hence the Union Legislature, namely Parliament and subject to the provisions of Article 254 of the Constitution. The state legislatures are also competent to make laws in the field.  Law relating to marriage and divorce has been codified in different enactments applicable to people of different religions. These are : (1) The Converts Marriage Dissolution Act, 1866; (2) The Divorce Act, 1869; (3) The Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872; (4) The Kazis Act, 1880; (5) The Anand Marriage Act, 1909; The Indian Succession Act, 1925; (7) The Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936; (8) The Dissolution of Muslim Marriage Act, 1939; (9) The Special Marriage Act, 1954; (10) The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955; (11) The Foreign Marriage Act, 1969; and (12) The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986.  Although there is no general law governing adoption, it is permitted by The Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956 amongst Hindus and by custom amongst a few numerically insignificant categories of persons. Since adoption is legal affiliation of a child, it forms the subject matter of personal law. Muslims, Christians and Parsis have no adoption laws and have to approach the court under The Guardians and Wards Act, 1890. Muslims, Christians and Parsis can take a child under the said Act only under foster care.  Once a child under foster care attaining the age of majority, that is eighteen years old, he is free to break away all these connections. Besides, such a child does not have the legal right of inheritance. Foreigners, who want to adopt Indian children have to approach the court under the aforesaid Act.

Book by BestCurrentAffairs.com for IAS Prelims 2020  The Hindu law relating to adoption has been amended and codified into the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance

Act, 1956, under which a male or female Hindu having legal capacity, can take a son or a daughter in adoption. BestCurrentAffairs.com The Indian Succession Act was enacted in 1925 to consolidate the law applicable to intestate and testamentary succession which was in existence at that time. The Act does not apply to the residents of the union territory of Puducherry.  A vast majority of Muslims in India follow Hanafi doctrines of Sunni law. Courts presume that Muslims are governed by Hanafi law unless it is established to be the contrary. Though there are many features in common between Shia and Sunni schools, yet there are differences in some respects. Sunni law regards Quranic verses of inheritance as an addendum to pre-Islamic customary law and preserves the superior position of male agnates. Unlike Hindu and Christian laws, Muslim law restricts a persons right of testation. A Muslim can bequeath only one-third of his estate.  Section 8 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 provides for registration of Hindu marriages and as Sikhs were included in the definition of Hindu, under Section 2 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, a Sikh marriage performed according to the Sikh marriage ceremony called ― Anand or other customary ceremonies could be registered here under the provisions of Section 8 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. The Anand Marriage (Amendment), Act, 2012, The Anand Marriage Act, 1909 was amended to provide for registration of Anand marriages commonly known as Anand Karaj.  The Acts in connection with the conduct of elections to Parliament, state legislatures and to the offices of the President and the Vice-President are : (i) The Representation of the People Act, 1950; (ii) The Representation of the People Act, 1951; (iii) The Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952; (iv) The Delimitation Act, 2002; (v) The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Act, 2005; and (vi) The Tamil Nadu Legislative Council Act, 2010. These are administrated by the Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice.  The electoral system of the country, which is also called the first-past-the-post system of elections, has completed sixty six years.  At present the issue of electoral reforms in its entirety has been referred to the Law Commission of India for its examination and Report.  The periodic readjustment of the Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies is mandatory in a representative system where single-member constituencies are used for electing political representatives. The electoral boundaries are drawn on the basis of the last published census figures and are relatively equal in population. Electoral constituencies that vary greatly in population—a condition called ―malapportionment—violate a central tenet of democracy, namely, that all voters should be able to cast a vote of equal weight.  The first Delimitation Commission in India was constituted in 1952, the second in 1962 and the third in the year 1973. The third delimitation exercise— based on 1971 census—was completed in the year 1975. The present delimitation, based on 2001 census, has been undertaken after 30 years.  The Government, as part of the National Population Policy strategy, decided to extend the current constitutional freeze on undertaking fresh delimitation up to 2026 as a motivational measure to enable state governments to fearlessly pursue the agenda for population stabilization. It has also been decided, however, to simultaneously undertake readjustment and rationalization of electoral constituencies, including those reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, based on the population census for the year 1991, without affecting the number of seats allocated to states in the legislative bodies so as to correct the imbalance caused due to uneven growth of population/electorate in different constituencies. The Constitution (Eighty-fourth Amendment) Act, 2001 enacted in 2002 has effected the aforesaid policy decisions of the Government. Pursuant to the enactment of the Constitution (Eighty-fourth Amendment) Act, 2001 which provided for readjustment of electoral constituencies, including those reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled tribes. The Delimitation Act, 2002 was enacted.  The Delimitation Commission had accordingly been constituted in 2002 under the provisions of the Delimitation Act, 2002 with Shri Justice Kuldip Singh, a retired judge of the Supreme Court as its Chairperson and Shri B.B. Tandon, Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India and the State Election Commissioner as its members. The main task of the Commission was to readjust the division of territorial constituencies of the seats in the House of the People allocated to each state and the readjustment of the division of territorial constituencies of the total number of seats in the Legislative assembly of each state. Subsequent to that the Constitution (Eighty-seventh Amendment) Act, 2003 was enacted and by that Act the basis of the delimitation of territorial constituencies was changed based on the 2001 census in place of 1991.  The procedure for delimiting the constituencies in India stands clearly spelt out in The Delimitation Act, 2002. This legal framework provides for an independent and impartial Delimitation Commission. The final orders of the Commission are not subject to any modification or veto by the Government.  After getting finality of the delimitation exercise, in pursuance of the second proviso to Article 82 and second proviso to clause (3) of Article 170 of the Constitution, a Presidential Order dated February 19, 2008 was issued making new delimitation effective throughout the country. However, Section 10(B) of the Delimitation Act, 2002 deferred the legal effect of the 2007 delimitation order in relation to the state of Jharkhand.  Further, a new Section 8(A) was inserted in the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which, provided that if the President of India is satisfied that the situation and the conditions prevailing in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur or Nagaland are conducive for the conduct of delimitation exercise, he may, by order, rescind the said deferment orders issued under Section 10(A) of The Delimitation Act, 2002 in relation to any of those states and provide for the conduct of delimitation exercise in the states by the Election Commission of India. Further, the Election Commission of India, as per sub-Section (2 of Section 8(A) of The Representation of the People Act, 1950 has now been empowered to undertake fresh delimitation in respect to the aforementioned four states as soon as, may be after the deferment orders in respect to these states

Book by BestCurrentAffairs.com for IAS Prelims 2020 are rescinded. A fresh delimitation exercise will be initiated as and when conditions prevailing in these states become conducive to the conduct of delimitation exercise.  After the issuance of the Presidential Order of 2008, the Delimitation Commission had issued eight (8) BestCurrentAffairs.com orders/corrigenda amending its earlier orders in respect of Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, NCT of Delhi, Bihar and Gujarat.  The use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) was started in the country on experiment basis in 1982. It took more than two decades for the universal use of EVMs and during the General Elections to the Lok Sabha in 2004, EVMs were used in all polling stations across the country. Thereafter EVMs are being used in all the elections of the House of the People and state assemblies. The EVMs were developed at the behest of the Election Commission jointly with two Public Sector Undertakings, Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited, Hyderabad (ECIL) in 1989.  The use of electors‘ photo identity cards by the Election Commission was started in 1993 throughout the country to check bogus voting and impersonation of electors at elections. Every Indian citizen who attains the age of 18 years or above as on that date is eligible for inclusion in the electoral roll and can apply for the same.  25th January has been declared as the National Voters‘ Day.  Section 19 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 provides that every person who is not less than eighteen years of age on the qualifying date and is ordinarily resident in constituency shall be entitled to be registered in the electoral rolls for that constituency.  A person who has gone out of the country for business or employment should be treated as having moved out of that place. Mere ownership or possession of a building or other immovable property will not bestow on the owner, the residential qualification.  There are a large number of Indian citizens residing outside the country due to various reasons. They have been persistently demanding for conferring them the voting rights. The law has been enacted as the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2010. In pursuance of the provisions of the said Act the Central Government, in consultation with the Election Commission prepared and published the Registration of Electors (Amendment) Rules, 2011 on February 3, 2011 and Registration of Electors (Second Amendment) Rules 2011 on February 23, 2011. The overseas Indians can now furnish the documents self-attested by them and get their name enrolled in the electoral roll of their respective constituency.  The provision related to the reservation of seats for SC/ST communities in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies found place in Articles 330 and 332 of the Constitution. Initially, the aforesaid provisions were made only for a period of ten years from the commencement of the Constitution.  Article 331 of the Constitution says for nomination of two persons of Anglo Indian community in the House of the People by the President. Likewise, provision for nomination of one member each by the Governor, wherever necessary, belonging to this community in the state legislative assemblies was also incorporated.  Consequently, the provision initially made for a period of ten years has been extended from time to time. Recently, through the Constitution (One Hundred Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2009 extension of the period for a further ten years has been passed by both the Houses of Parliament and received the assent of the President in January, 2010. The said Bill was enacted as the Constitution (Ninety-fifth Amendment) Act, 2009.