UPSC Key- February 15, 2023: Know about Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics, Deputy Speaker and I-T search and survey

Weeks after its documentary taken off, BBC gets I-T knock

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies II: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Acting against what it alleged was “non-compliance” with transfer pricing rules and diversion of profits, the Income-Tax Department Tuesday carried out surveys at the premises of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in Delhi and Mumbai. Government officials said the surveys were conducted in view of the BBC’s “deliberate non-compliance with the transfer pricing rules” and its “vast diversion of profits”. They are expected to continue Wednesday.

• Why Income-Tax Department carried out surveys at the premises of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)?

• What Section 133A of the I-T Act says?

• For Your Information-A survey, conducted under Section 133A of the I-T Act, is usually a precursor to a search and seizure operation, and takes place only at business premises. I-T officials look into the books of accounts, bank accounts, cash, stock and non-valuable documents during a survey. In recent surveys, they have impounded phones and laptops of assessees, and returned these in a couple of days.

• What is an I-T survey and how is it different from a I-T raid?

• What is an I-T search?

• What is the difference between a “search” and a “survey” then?

• For Your Extra Information-A “search” typically refers to what is called a “raid” — although the word ‘raid’ has not been defined anywhere in the Income-Tax Act. However, “search” has been defined under Section 132 of the Act. Under this Section, the I-T Department can carry out a process of inspection by entering and searching any building where it has reasons to believe someone is in possession of undisclosed income or property like money, bullion, gold. An I-T search can even be carried out when “any person to whom a summons or notice…has been or might be issued will not, or would not, produce or cause to be produced, any books of account or other documents which will be useful for, or relevant to, any proceeding” under the Act.

• The BBC documentary, India: The Modi Question and the Income Tax Department’s “surveys” at the BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai-is the first step in what is widely seen as a process-is-punishment treatment?

• What do you understand by “The Process is the Punishment”?

• What makes Income-Tax Department so powerful?

• In recent years, Income-Tax Department is in news-Discuss role and function of the Income-Tax Department

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 I-T Dept ‘surveys’ BBC: What is a survey by the taxman, and how is it different from an I-T ‘raid’?

📍THE DAYLIGHT KNOCK

📍I-T dept surveys BBC premises: Who owns BBC, how does it function

EXPRESS NETWORK

HC bail to 9 men: What is POCSO offence here?

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination:

• General Studies I: Social empowerment and Salient features of Indian Society

• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Observing that charges under the stringent Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) may not be justified, Gauhati High Court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail in four separate cases of child marriage. “POCSO (charge) you can add (to) anything. What is the POCSO (offence) here? Merely because POCSO is added does it mean judges won’t see what is there,” Justice Suman Shyam asked. The HC granted bail to nine people from Bongaigaon, Morigaon, Nagaon and Kamrup districts, facing charges of child marriage in four cases.

• “The Assam police began a crackdown on child marriage and arrested more than 2500 people”-why this crackdown?

• For Your Information-Assam Police has slapped charges on them under POCSO Act, making a presumption of sexual assault in case of child marriage involving girls below the age of 14.
Sexual assault that is not penetrative carries a minimum imprisonment of 3 years, which may extend to 5 years with a fine. The offence is non-bailable and cognisable, which means police can make an arrest without warrant.

• Is this a correct way to stop child marriages-What experts are saying?

• Where does India stand in Child Marriages statistics?

• What does the constitution and laws says about Child Marriages?

• “Child marriages affect the national economy negatively and do not allow us to come out of the vicious cycle of intergenerational poverty”-Elaborate

• Are mass arrests and the indiscriminate use of criminal sanctions, that the Assam government has resorted to, the only solution to the problem of child marriage?

• Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012- Know the Salient features of the Act and its amendment

• Who is regarded as child as per the provisions of POCSO Act, 2012?

• Why Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012?

• What are the challenges associated with child sexual abuse?

• What are the Initiatives, legislations and laws taken by the Government of India in this direction?

• What are the Rights of a child in India as per the Indian Constitution?

• What is ‘Age of Consent’?

• According to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act of 2012, what age is specified as the “age of consent”?

• Recently, Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud urged Parliament to review the age of consent under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012-Why?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Faizan Mustafa writes: Instead of criminalising child marriage, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma should heed PM Modi’s call of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

HINDI IN THE WORLD

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Vinay Sahasrabuddhe Writes: Suva, the capital of Fiji, is hosting the 12th World Hindi Conference between February 15 and 17. According to the Ministry of External Affairs’ officials, India has achieved limited progress at the United Nations regarding Hindi. The UN has now made a provision to provide all the important messages and press releases in Hindi, just as in languages such as Urdu and Bangla. However, the government is making all efforts to ensure a rightful place for Hindi at the UN. Hindi is India’s outreach to the world, especially in places that received Indian indentured labourers during the 19th century.

• Post-1947 debate over Hindi-Know in detail

• How widely is Hindi spoken in India?

• “Though Hindi is not officially the national language of India, it is the strongest link language besides being one of the two official languages”-Critically Analyse

• Do You Know-According to the 2011 census, 528 million Indians speak Hindi as against Bengali (97.2 million), Marathi (83 million) Telugu (81 million) and Tamil (69 million) speakers. The 2011 linguistic census accounts for 121 mother tongues, including 22 languages listed in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

• Why the Constituent Assembly of India accepted Hindi, as the official language of India on September 14, 1949?

• For Your Information-Hindi is the most widely spoken, with 52.8 crore individuals, or 43.6% of the population, declaring it as their mother tongue. The next highest is Bengali, mother tongue for 9.7 crores (8%) — less than one-fifth of Hindi’s count. In terms of the number of people who know Hindi, the count crosses more than half the country. Nearly 13.9 crore (over 11%) reported Hindi as their second language, which makes it either the mother tongue or second language for nearly 55% of the population.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: The languages India speaks

THE IDEAS PAGE

Green transition enabler

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development–Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

• General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Energy transitions are central to the G20 agenda. In 2023, during India’s presidency, the geopolitics and governance of energy have become immensely challenging, as the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy, concerns about energy security and, in many cases, the pressure on keeping financial commitments made related to tackling climate change have become complicated.

• In 2023, during India’s presidency, the geopolitics and governance of energy have become immensely challenging-Know the issues and challenges

• What does the budget do for India’s commitment for an orderly transition to a Green Economy?

• Do You Know- In order to ensure India’s commitment for an orderly transition to a Green Economy, Rs 35,000 crore allocation is declared for energy transition and net-zero carbon emission targets; an annual production target of 5 MMT by 2030 for Green Hydrogen Mission; and a Green Credit Programme under the Environment (Protection) Act to incentivise sustainable actions. Issues of innovative financing, risk mitigation for crowding in private investments and securing participation of multilateral institutions would need continuing engagement.

• What is “Energy poverty”?

• “Energy poverty” is global and widespread, impacting technology implementation, industry and sustainable development goals-Analyse

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍An eye on the future

EXPLAINED

The missing Dy Speaker: the post, and what the Constitution says

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre and five states — Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand — over the failure to elect a Deputy Speaker. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud sought responses on a PIL that contends that not electing a Deputy Speaker to the 17th (present) Lok Sabha, which was constituted on June 19, 2019, is “against the letter and spirit of the Constitution”. The post has been lying vacant in the five state Assemblies as well, which were constituted between four years and almost one year ago, the plea states. (Shariq Ahmed v. Union of India And Ors)

• What does the Constitution say about the Deputy Speaker?

• Deputy Speaker in legislative assembly-know the role

• The Deputy Speaker is elected by the assembly itself from amongst its members-True or False?

• What is Article 178 of the Indian Constitution?

• The Deputy Speaker is independent of the Speaker, not subordinate to him-True or False?

• Do You Know-Article 93 says “The House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members…to be…Speaker and Deputy Speaker…and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member…”Article 178 contains the corresponding position for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of a state.

• Is it mandatory to have a Deputy Speaker?

• How soon must the Deputy Speaker be elected?

• How was the post of Deputy Speaker envisaged?

• Do the powers of the Speaker extend to the Deputy Speaker as well?

• What is the position of the Union government on the current vacancy in the post of Deputy Speaker?

• Can the courts intervene in cases of a delay in electing the Deputy Speaker?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: How are a Speaker and Deputy Speaker elected

Previous Year Mains Questions Based on similar theme:

📍‘Once a Speaker always a speaker’! Do you think this practice should be adopted to impart objectivity to the office of the speaker of Lok Sabha? What could be its implication for the robust functioning of parliamentary business in India? (UPSC GS2 Mains, 2020 )

GEO-HERITAGE SITES AND GEO-RELICS

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: History of India

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Today (February 14) is the last day for comments and suggestions to be sent in for the draft Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance) Bill, as notified by the Ministry of Mines. The Bill is aimed at providing for the declaration, preservation, protection and maintenance of geo-heritage sites and geo-relics of national importance, for geological studies, education, research and awareness purposes.

• Draft Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance) Bill, 2022-Know the features and highlights

• What are the Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics mentioned here?

• For Your Information-According to a 2016 press release by the Ministry of Mines, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) declares geo-heritage sites/ national geological monuments for protection and maintenance. The GSI or the respective state governments take necessary measures to protect these sites. Coming under the Ministry of Mines, the GSI was established in 1851 to investigate and assess coal and other mineral resources of the country through regional-level exploration. The draft bill defines Geo-heritage sites as “sites containing geo-relics and phenomena, stratigraphic type sections, geological structures and geomorphic landforms including caves, natural rock sculptures of national and international interest; and includes such portion of land adjoining the site,” that may be required for their conservation or to access to such sites. a Geo-relic is defined as “any relic or material of a geological significance or interest like sediments, rocks, minerals, meteorite or fossils”. The GSI will have the power to acquire geo-relics “for its preservation and maintenance”.

• What does the Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics Bill say?

• What does it say regarding preservation?

• And what are the criticisms?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:  

📍Draft Geoheritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance) Bill, 2022 reg.

ECONOMY

Why does RBI’s household survey see retail inflation staying elevated?

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-On Monday (February 13), the government announced retail inflation has shot up to 6.52 per cent for January from 5.72 in December 2022 primarily due to the rise in food inflation. The Reserve Bank of India’s household survey on inflation expectations, released after the monetary policy on February 8, shows that retail inflation is expected to remain elevated in the next one year with an all-round rise in prices across the board.

• What’s the expectation on inflation?

• Households’ one-year ahead inflation expectations remained unchanged at 10.8 per cent from the November 2022 round of the survey-What exactly the survey says?

• What is the RBI policy forecast?

• For Your Information-The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the RBI has projected retail inflation at 6.5 per cent in fiscal 2022-23. For FY2024, CPI inflation is projected at 5.3 per cent. After a peak of 7.8 per cent in April 2022, the CPI inflation moved below the upper tolerance level of 6 per cent during November-December 2022, driven by a strong decline in the prices of vegetables. The RBI has hiked the repo rate by 250 bps, including the 25 bps hike on February 8, in the current cycle to rein in inflation.

• What do experts say?

• Why Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) hiked the repo rate recently?

• What is repo rate?

• After hike, what is the Current Repo Rate?

• What is Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) Rate?

• What happens when Repo Rate and CRR is increased?

• How this move will impact overall Economy?

• What does accommodative stance mean with respect to monetary policy?

• Know about these terms-Bank Rate, Reverse Repo Rate, Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) etc.

• New Standard for Measuring Inflation in India and Old Standard for Measuring Inflation-Key Differences

• Do You Know-Monetary policy essentially deals with the supply and cost (interest rates) of money in an economy. The RBI’s MPC meets every two months to assess the state of monetary activities, and may tweak the repo rate — the interest rate at which the RBI lends to commercial banks — in a manner that reduces price fluctuations in the economy while keeping the inflation rate (the rate at which the general price level in the economy grows) at a reasonable level.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Reading RBI’s policy review

📍RBI’s unfinished task

For any queries and feedback, contact priya.shukla@indianexpress.com
The UPSC KEY Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest Updates.