Brief of newspaper articles for the day bearing
relevance to Civil Services preparation
- GS PAPER 2
- Ordinance an option for States, govt. tells court {Polity}
- High prices of dals may hit protein intake {Governance}
- Sri Lanka urged to ratify cluster convention {International}
- U.S. moots talks on Kashmir; India hits back at Pakistan {Foreign Policy}
- GS PAPER 3
GS PAPER 2
[1]Ordinance an option for States, govt. tells court
Context
Centre Government issued an ordinance on May 24, 2016 which allowed the states to go ahead with their own entrance exams instead of unified NEET.
Analysis
- Supreme court had earlier ruled that a common National Eligibility-cum-Entrance test (NEET) must be followed for admissions to MBBS, BDS and PG medical courses. However, government by an ordinance surpassed this order.
- This ordinance by the govt. has caused displeasure with the Supreme Court but it has refused to interfere as of now to avoid chaos.
- The ordinance made by govt has deferred to conduct the SC ordered NEET by an year.
- The govt. at the same time has assured the SC that this ordinance was not meant to be an offense against SC. It merely was to give an option to states to go either for NEET or for their own tests.
[2]High prices of dals may hit protein intake
Context
An increase in price of the pulses across the country has reduced its consumption. Pulses being a rich source of proteins, this reduction in consumption can severely affect the nutrition of a large population.
Analysis
- A large segment of Indian population is vegetarian, thus a price rise in pulses will definitely affect their protein intake and hence, the overall nutrition.
- The rise in prices of pulses has reduced its consumption particularly among the low income population which already lack access to nutritious food.
- The only alternative for protein consumption is soya bean but a shift to it in near future seems implausible as food habits take a lot of time to change.
So, if prices of pulses keep on increasing, it would lead to protein malnutrition especially among developing children.
Conclusion
In the light of the above factors, it becomes imperative for India to increase the production of pulses. The government must make suitable steps to make sure that production of pulses becomes attractive for the farmers.
[3]Sri Lanka urged to ratify cluster convention
Issue
- An activist in Sri Lanka advocates for an early ratification of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM).
Key points:
- Pointing out that the allegation against Sri Lanka pertains to the use of such bombs against the country’s citizens in an internal armed conflict, the activist argues that it is meaningless to compare Sri Lanka with other non-signatory countries such as the U.S., Russia and China.
- These countries, considering their economic and military strength, may have their geopolitical interests to serve but Sri Lanka is not placed under similar circumstances.
- Besides, as the government has been giving thrust to the promotion of reconciliation in the country, it should take a decision at the earliest to sign and ratify the CCM, a move which he believes will provide a big push.
- This will not only provide solace to those who were traumatised by the decades-long war in Sri Lanka but also reassure people of the country that such a heinous practice will not be resorted to in future.
[4]U.S. moots talks on Kashmir; India hits back at Pakistan
Issue
- India hit out at Pakistan’s reference to the situation in J&K at a U.N. meet on human rights
U.S. moots talks on Kashmir
- The U.S has called for dialogue between India, Pakistan and Kashmir on the conflict in the valley.
India hits back at Pakistan
- At a U.N. conference on human rights, Pakistan raised the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
- India said that Pakistan is a country that covets the territory of others; a country that uses terrorism as state policy towards that misguided end; a country that extols the virtues of terrorists and that provides sanctuary to U.N.-designated terrorists.
- Pakistan is the same country whose track record has failed to convince the international community to gain membership of the Human Rights Council in this very session of the UNGA. The international community has long seen through such designs.
GS PAPER 3
[1]Income Declaration Scheme extended to September 2017
News
- The Government has announced an extension of a deadline under the Income Declaration Scheme.
Income Declaration Scheme
- Income Declaration Scheme 2016 came into effect from 1 June, 2016. It’s an opportunity for those who didn’t disclose income or pay taxes thereon in the past.
- Under this scheme, such persons can declare the undisclosed income and pay tax,surcharge and penalty on the declared undisclosed income.
- Declaration of undisclosed income or asset should have been chargeable to tax for any assessment year prior to the assessment year 2017-18.
- The person making a declaration under the scheme will have to pay income tax at the rate of 30% of the value of undisclosed income plus a surcharge of 25% thereon.
- Additionally, the person will be liable to pay a penalty at the rate of 25% of the tax, which would make the total payment 45% of the undisclosed income.
- The Centre has declared 30 September as the last date for making a declaration and 30 November as the date by which the tax, surcharge and penalty may be paid.
Revised provisions of Income Declaration Scheme.
- According to the new plan, a minimum of 25 per cent of the tax, surcharge and penalty is to be paid by November 30, 2016, another 25 per cent by March 31, 2017, and the remaining amount by September 30, 2017.
- The previous deadline for the entire payment of the tax, interest, and penalty was November 30, 2016.
Rate clarification
- The government also clarified about a pending issue on whether the tax, surcharge and penalty could be paid with undisclosed income not included in the amount that was originally declared, effectively reducing the rate payable from 45 per cent to 31 per cent.
- If a person declared Rs.100 lakh as undisclosed income under the scheme, then he would have to pay a total of Rs.45 lakh as tax, surcharge and penalty.
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