Insights Daily Current Events, 29 April 2015

Insights Daily Current Events, 29 April 2015

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Kannagi temple renovation possible, says archaeologist

Department of Archaeology, Kerala, has said that Mangala Devi Kannagi Temple can be renovated but a sketch or portrait of the original temple is required to restore it to its original shape.

• The temple was constructed 1,800 years ago and the structure was now in a dilapidated condition.
• The only evidence for the temple available in Tamil literature is in Silappathikaram.
• Since the temple is within the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR), prior permission from the Supreme Court, Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and National Board for Wild Life is essential before undertaking renovation work.

About Kannagi:

• Kannagi is a legendary Tamil woman who forms the central character of the Tamil epic Silapathikaram (100-300 CE).
• The story relates how Kannagi took revenge on Pandyan King of Madurai, for a mistaken death penalty imposed on her husband Kovalan, by cursing the city.
• One of Stree Shakti Puraskar (Women Power Award) awards is named after her.

Sources: The Hindu, Wiki.

‘NREGA, the only insurance for India’

The World Bank recently said that the spike in ‘unmet demand’ for MGNREGA jobs is an indicator of increasing rural distress.

• Since the scheme is the only and the best bet India has for mitigating the impact on the poor of the recent unseasonal rains, it has asked the government to take steps aimed at arresting delays in wage payments and the rising unmet demand for jobs.

Details of a Study:

• The analysis of MGNREGA in a study shows that the programme’s impact on rural poverty in Bihar is only 1 percentage point as against its potential of reducing poverty by at least 14 percentage points.
• Among the main reasons why the potential is not being realised, the study says, is that the supply side is too slow to respond to the demand for work from the poor, workers not receiving the full scheme wage and delays in wage payments.
• The study also says that if MGNREGA were to be implemented effectively, its design would ensure that there is no unmet demand for work.

MGNREGA:

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005, also known as the “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act” is an Indian labour law and social security measure.

Aims:

• To guarantee the ‘right to work’ and ensure livelihood security in rural areas.
• To create durable assets that would augment the basic resources available to the poor.
• To follow the Directive Principles of State Policy enunciated in Part IV of the Constitution of India and conforms to the Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that defines the right to work as a basic human right.

How? By providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

More Details:

• The provisions of the law also adhere to the principles enunciated in the Constitution of India under Article 21 of the Constitution of India that guarantees the right to life with dignity to every citizen of India.
• This law guarantees the right to work to the people of India and hence is termed as a “People’s Act”.
• It is believed that targeting poverty through employment generation is the effective way to alleviate poverty.
• Employment under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA is a guaranteed legal right.
• The major responsibility of the implementation rests with Panchayati Raj institutions.
• Previous employment guarantee schemes (EGS) like ‘Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana’ (SGRY) Programme and National Food For Work Programme (NFFWP) were merged with MGNREGA to make it more effective.
• The Act sets a minimum limit to the wages, to be paid with gender equality. The states are required to evolve a set of norms for the measurement of works and schedule of rates. The unemployment allowance must be paid if the work is not provided within the statutory limit of 15 days.

Criticism:

• Activists say that the outlay for the scheme has remained nearly constant for the past three years, which, adjusting for inflation, amounts to a decrease.
• The release of funds to the States is being delayed and the amounts have been capped. As a result, there has been a 16 per cent decline in employment from the 2013-14 figure.
• Compared with 147 lakh person days generated in December 2013, only 123 lakh person days were generated in December 2014, with the decline sharper in poor States such as Bihar and Chhattisgarh.
• Till December 2014 in the financial year 2014-15, 72 per cent of the total wages disbursed were delayed. And delays in wage payments have actually increased over time.
• However, Evidence from independent research studies have shown that the MGNREGA has successfully curbed distress migration, had large effects on consumption and poverty of Dalit and Adivasi households, increased nutritional standards of households, provided risk resilience to small and marginal farmers and vastly expanded the financial inclusion net in the country.

Sources: The Hindu, NREGA, Wiki.

Centre recasts Nehru memorial society

The Nehru Memorial Museum Library Society (NMMLS), considered a Congress legacy, has been reconstituted to include 34 members, and eight new members to the Executive Council.

• The Society will be headed by the Prime Minister of India.
• The 34 members of the society will have a tenure of five years.

About NMMLS:

• It is an autonomous institution under the Indian Ministry of Culture, and was founded in 1964.
• It aims to preserve and reconstruct the history of the Indian independence movement. It aims to foster academic research on modern and contemporary history.
• Today, the Nehru Memorial Library is the world’s leading resource centre on India’s first prime minister and its archives contain the bulk of Mahatma Gandhi’s writings apart from private papers of C. Rajagopalachari, B. C. Roy, Jayaprakash Narayan, Charan Singh, Sarojini Naidu and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur.

Sources: The Hindu, Wiki.

NY’s first India-born woman judge sworn in

Raja Rajeswari, the first India-born woman to be appointed a judge in New York City, was sworn-in by Mayor Bill recently.

TRIVIA

The Judiciary in US – As Per Its Constitution:

Article III

Section 1.

The judicial power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behaviour, and shall, at stated times, receive for their services, a compensation, which shall not be diminished during their continuance in office.

Section 2.

The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in law and equity, arising under this Constitution, the laws of the United States, and treaties made, or which shall be made, under their authority;–to all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls;–to all cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction;–to controversies to which the United States shall be a party;–to controversies between two or more states;–between a state and citizens of another state;–between citizens of different states;–between citizens of the same state claiming lands under grants of different states, and between a state, or the citizens thereof, and foreign states, citizens or subjects.

In all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, and those in which a state shall be party, the Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction. In all the other cases before mentioned, the Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction, both as to law and fact, with such exceptions, and under such regulations as the Congress shall make.

The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be by jury; and such trial shall be held in the state where the said crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any state, the trial shall be at such place or places as the Congress may by law have directed.

Section 3.

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.

The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason, but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture except during the life of the person attainted.

Sources: The Hindu.

Sri Lanka adopts 19th Amendment

The Sri Lankan Parliament has adopted the 19th Constitutional Amendment Bill with an overwhelming majority.

What is it about?

• The legislation envisages the dilution of many powers of Executive Presidency, which had been in force since 1978.

Important features of the Bill:

• The reduction in the terms of President and Parliament from six years to five years.
• Re-introduction of a two-term limit that a person can have as President.
• The power of President to dissolve Parliament only after four and a half years [unlike one year, as prevalent now].
• The revival of Constitutional Council and the establishment of independent commissions.
• The President remains the head of Cabinet and he can appoint Ministers on the advice of Prime Minister.

Sources: The Hindu.

Insights Secure Prelims 2015

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Welcome to Insights Secure Prelims – 2015 initiative. The following questions are based on current events that appear in PIB (Public Information Bureau) and from some important newspapers. For more challenging question papers (Full Length), please join our Preliminary Exam – 2015 Test Series (Please Click Here for Reviews)

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1. Question 1 of 5

   1. Question

   The 19th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which was recently adopted by the Sri Lankan parliament, is related to:

   • a) The dilution of many powers of Executive Presidency.
   • b) Rehabilitation of Sri Lankan Tamils.
   • c) Granting autonomous status to the Northern Province of Sri Lanka.
   • d) Declaring LTTE as a terrorist organization.
   Correct
   

   Solution: a

    

   Incorrect
   

   Solution: a

    
2. Question 2 of 5

   2. Question

   Consider the following statements with reference to Nehru Memorial Museum Library Society (NMMLS):

   1. It is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
   2. The Society is headed by the Human Resources Development Ministerof India.
   3. The members of the Society are appointed by the President of India.
   4. It was established with an aim of to preserve and reconstruct the history of the Indian independence movement.

   Which of the above statements is/are INCORRECT?

   • a) 1 and 2 Only
   • b) 1, 2 and 3 Only
   • c) 2, 3 and 4 Only
   • d) All.
   Correct
   

    

   Solution: b

   Incorrect
   

   Solution: b
3. Question 3 of 5

   3. Question

   Consider the following statements with reference to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005:

   1. Employment under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA is made constitutional right.
   2. The Act sets a minimum limit to the wages, to be paid with gender equality.
   3. According to the Act, the unemployment allowance must be paid if the work is not provided within the statutory limit of 15 days.

   Which of the above statements is/are INCORRECT?

   • a) 1 Only
   • b) 2 Only
   • c) 3 Only
   • d) 1 and 3 Only
   Correct
   

   Solution: a

    

   Incorrect
   

   Solution: a
4. Question 4 of 5

   4. Question

   Which of the following is/are Warm Ocean Currents?

   1. Brazil Current
   2. Gulf Stream
   3. Oyashio (Kamchatka) Current
   4. Labrador Current

   Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

   • a) 1 and 4 Only
   • b) 2 and 3 Only
   • c) 1 and 2 Only
   • d) 3 and 4 Only
   Correct
   

   Solution: c.

   Reference: http://geography.about.com/library/misc/blcurrents.htm.

    

   Incorrect
   

   Solution: c.

   Reference: http://geography.about.com/library/misc/blcurrents.htm.

    
5. Question 5 of 5

   5. Question

   Consider the following statements with reference to Kannagi, a legendary woman:

   1. Kannagi is a legendary Tamil woman who forms the central character of the Tamil epic Silapathikaram (100-300 CE).
   2. One of Stree Shakti Puraskar awards is named after her.

   Which of the above statements is/are Correct?

   • a) 1 Only
   • b) 2 Only
   • c) Both
   • d) None
   Correct
   

   Solution: c)

    

    

   Incorrect
   

   Solution: c)