DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

13^th December 2021

1 – ABOUT THE DELIMITATION COMMISSION: 

GS II

Topic – Constitutional & Non-Constitutional Bodies

• What is the definition of delimitation:
• Delimitation is the process of determining the bordes or limits of territorial constituencies in a state with a legislative assembly.
• Who is responsible for carrying out the exercise:
• A powerful commission is in charge of delimitation. The Delimitation Commission or Boundary Commission is their official name.
• These bodies are so strong that their decisions have the force of law and cannot be overturned in a court of law.
• In India, delimitation commissions have been established four times: in 1952 under the Delimitation Commission Act, 1952; in 1963 under the Delimitation Commission Act, 1962; in 1973 under the Delimitation Act, 1972; and most recently in 2002 under the Delimitation Act, 2002.
• The directives of the commissions are carried out on the date set by the President of India.
• The Lok Sabha or the concerned Legislative Assembly receives copies of these orders. No alterations are allowed.
• The Commission is made up of the following members:
• The Delimitation Commission appointed by the Centre must have three members, according to the Delimitation Commission Act of 2002: a serving or retired Supreme Court judge as chairperson, the Chief Election Commissioner or Election Commissioner nominated by the CEC, and the State Election Commissioner as ex-officio members.
• Source – The Hindu – 13/12/21 – Page Number 8

2 – ABOUT THE KASHI VISHWANATH CORRIDOR:

GS I

Topic – Indian Culture

• Facts to Remember:
• PM’s long-held aim of building a readily accessible road between Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the Ganga River’s banks will be realised with this initiative.
• On March 8, 2019, PM lay the foundation stone for the project.
• The Project for the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor:
• More than 40 historic temples have been renovated and beautified as part of the project, which spans 5 lakh square feet. 23 additional structures were built as part of the project to provide devotees with a variety of services.
• Environmental Protection Message:
• The environmental message was also promoted along the Kashi corridor. Rudraksh, Parijat, Bael, Amla, and Ashok trees have been planted throughout the corridor.
• Trees have been planted strategically across the temple grounds and mandir chowk.
• Three passenger facilitation centres are being built.
• Diverse buildings have been developed as part of this project to accommodate various religious functions.
• In addition, three traveller facilitation centres have been established in Vishwanath Dham. Lockers, stores selling puja materials, and ticket counters were also included in the project.
• Prasad of Kashi Vishwanath Dham:
• Varanasi district administration plans to provide laddoos to 8 lakh homes in the city on this occasion.
• The Vishwanath Temple in KashiL
• Lord Shiva is honoured at this well-known Hindu temple.
• It is located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh’s Vishwanath Gali.
• It is located on the Ganga’s western bank.
• The temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, Shiva’s holiest shrines.
• Shri Vishwanath and Vishweshwara, which mean Lord of the Universe and Shri Vishwanath and Vishweshwara, respectively, are the temple’s main deities.
• Source – The Hindu – 13/12/21 – Page Number 1

3 – DETAILS OF THE AFSPA LAW:

GS III

Topic – Internal Security of India

• What does the acronym AFSPA stand for:
• AFSPA stands for Armed Forces Special Protection Act.
• It empowers armed troops to protect public order in “disturbed areas.”
• Armed forces are given the following powers:
• If they believe a person is breaking the law, they have the ability to prevent a gathering of five or more people in a given location, use force, or even open fire after giving fair warning.
• The army can also arrest a person without a warrant, enter or search a person’s home without a warrant, and prohibit the possession of firearms if there is probable suspicion.
• Any person detained or arrested may be handed over to the officer in charge of the local police station, along with a report explaining the facts surrounding the arrest.
• What does it mean to be in a “disturbed area,” and who has the authority to proclaim one:
• A disturbed area is one that has been declared by notification under the AFSPA’s Section 3.
• Differences or arguments between members of different religious, racial, language, or regional groups, castes, or communities can cause havoc in an area.
• The Central Government, the Governor of the State, or the Administrator of the Union Territory can declare a disturbed area in whole or part of the State or Union Territory.
• Is there a review of the Act in the works:
• The central government constituted a five-member committee led by Justice B P Jeevan Reddy on November 19, 2004, to assess the act’s provisions in the north eastern states.
• In 2005, the committee issued a report that included the following recommendations:
• AFSPA should be repealed, and appropriate provisions should be inserted in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967
• The Unlawful Activities Act should be modified to clearly specify the powers of the armed forces and paramilitary forces; and
• Grievance cells should be established in each district where the armed forces are deployed.
• The AFSPA was also recommended for repeal in the Fifth Report of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission on Public Order.
• Source – The Hindu – 13/12/21 – Page Number 8

4 – WHAT ARE THE URBAN COOPERATIVE BANKS:

GS III

Topic – Indian Economy

• In 2020, the Union Cabinet approved bringing cooperative bank regulation under the Reserve Bank of India.
• To do this, the Cabinet authorised changes to the Banking Regulation Act.
• Now, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and India’s Prime Minister have hinted that more reforms to the Urban Cooperative Banks will be implemented in order to improve their performance.
• All urban co-operative banks and multi-state cooperative banks will be affected by the changes.
• The following were the modifications that were made:
• The RBI’s auditing standards will be applied to cooperative banks.
• If a cooperative bank is in distress, the RBI, in collaboration with the state government, has the authority to supersede the board.
• The banking regulator will have to approve chief executive appointments, just as it does for commercial banks.
• What was the need for this:
• Following the recent Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank crisis, this was deemed required.
• There are 8.6 lakh account holders in cooperative banks, with a total deposit of roughly 5 lakh crore.
• In addition, over the last five fiscal years, urban cooperative banks have recorded almost 1,000 cases of fraud totaling over Rs 220 crore.
• How are cooperative banks governed:
• The Registrar of Cooperative Societies and the Reserve Bank of India are currently in charge of cooperative banks.
• While the registrar of cooperative societies is in charge of incorporation, registration, management, audit, board supersession, and liquidation, the RBI is in charge of regulatory functions like cash reserve and capital adequacy.
• What are co-operative banks, and how do they work:
• Co-operative banks are financial institutions that are owned by their members and operated cooperatively.
• This means that a co-operative bank’s customers are also its owners.
• Source – The Hindu – 13/12/21 – Page Number 1

5 – DETAILS OF THE S 400 MISSILE SYSTEM:

GS III

Topic – Security Forces of India

• Background:
• Despite US opposition and the prospect of sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, India signed a 5.43 billion dollar agreement with Russia for the S-400 Triumf missile system in October 2018.
• The S-400 Triumf Missile System has the following features:
• The S-400 Triumf is a Russian mobile surface-to-air missile system (SAM). It is the world’s most hazardous operationally deployed modern long-range SAM (MLR SAM), with the US-developed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system trailing far behind (THAAD).
• Within a range of 400 kilometres and at altitudes of up to 30 kilometres, the system can engage all forms of aerial targets, including aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and ballistic and cruise missiles.
• The device can track 100 targets in the air and engage six of them at once.
• Importance for India:
• China is also buying the system, according to India. China and Russia reached an agreement in 2015 to buy six battalions of the system. It was first delivered in January of this year.
• The S-400 system’s acquisition by China has been dubbed a “game changer” in the region. Its usefulness against India, however, is limited.
• In a two-front battle, India’s purchase is critical in countering strikes, including even high-end F-35 US fighter planes.
• Source – The Hindu – 13/12/21 – Page Number 10