Answers: Mains Marathon – UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions – April 6, 2018

Archives

Q.1) What is e-way bill? Is it possibly an obstacle in day-to-day movement of goods or the best foot put forward? Examine. (GS – 3)

Introduction:

• The GST e-way bill system has been recently rolled out all over India as part of anti-tax evasion measures under the new tax regime.

E-way bill:

• An electronic documentation.
• Document contains details about movement of goods.
• Can be generated from the Good and Services Tax Network (GSTN).
• 25-50 lakh e-way bills to be generated every day, and that may even go up to 75 lakh per day.

Significance of e-way bill:

• Key anti-tax evasion measure,
• Crucial part of the GST architecture,
• Provide a boost to GST revenues,
• Dissuade tax evaders from underreporting transactions, and
• Check instances where the entire transaction is not recorded due to connivance between the seller and buyer.

Concerns rose over e-way bill:

• May cause a disruption to trade,
• Technology system may not be prepared to handle the huge e-way bill volume,
• Long delays in generation of GST e-way bills,
• Trade may come to a standstill,
• Potential scope for harassment by tax authorities,
• Inadequate knowledge about the process of e-way bill among vehicle drivers, and
• Taxmen have powers to stop trucks and check e-way bills which may lead to rent-seeking.

Q.2) “The provisions in the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 have created pain and anguish among women from the community”. Enumerate the reasons for which there has been a demand for withdrawal of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 that makes triple talaq illegal. (GS – 2)

Introduction:

• Recently, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 has been protested.

Reasons for protests over the triple Talaq bill:

• Criminal prosecution of the husband will result in ending the marriage without securing the wife with a surety of her economic rights.
• It is believed that this Bill might end up suffering similar flaw as in case of section 498A.
• The matter is also anti-social as a civil contract is penalised by converting a civil matter into a criminal offence
• By making the practice of triple talaq a cognizable offence under the Muslim Women Bill, it gives police officers the power to conduct an investigation without bringing it to the notice of the concerned magistrate forthwith, the moment a police officer receives a complaint, without waiting for the magistrate’s order.
• This has raised the fear of Muslim men becoming soft targets, who the police can arbitrarily throw in jail for three years based on anybody’s complain.
• The Bill talks of post-divorce matters ignoring the fact that the pronouncement (instant talaq) has already been voided in S.3 and cannot result in a divorce.

Q.3)  Write short notes on:

(a)    Central Vigilance Commission (GS – 2)

• The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) was set up by the Government in February,1964.
• It was recommended by Committee on Prevention  of Corruption, headed by Shri K. Santhanam, to advise and guide Central Government agencies in the field of vigilance.
• CVC is conceived to be the apex vigilance institution, free of control from any executive authority, monitoring all vigilance activity under the Central Government and advising various authorities in Central Government organizations in planning, executing, reviewing and reforming their vigilance work.
• Consequent upon promulgation of an Ordinance by the President, the Central Vigilance Commission has been made a multi member Commission with “statutory status” with effect from 25th August,1998.
• The Central Vigilance Commission Act 2003 (No45 0f 2003) came into effect from that date.
• The Commission shall consist of:
• A Central Vigilance Commissioner – Chairperson;
• Not more than two Vigilance Commissioners – Members

(b)   Gini Index (GS – 3 )

• The Gini index or Gini coefficient is a statistical measure of distribution developed by the Italian statistician CorradoGini in 1912.
• It is often used as a gauge of economic inequality, measuring income distribution or, less commonly, wealth distribution among a population
• It is a measure of deviation from perfect equality.
• The coefficient ranges from 0 (or 0%) to 1 (or 100%), with 0 representing perfect equality and 1 representing perfect inequality.
• Values over 1 are theoretically possible due to negative income or wealth.