6th and 7th August current affairs

1. 50% funds allotted for ongoing MPLADS projects lapse.

IN NEWS:

Virtually half of the belated Rs. 2,200 crore allotted for completing the ongoing MPLADS projects in 2020-21 simply lapsed as the Finance Ministry granted only a week to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to release the funds.

KEY POINTS:

• The resultant funding crunch would have hit several local area development projects under implementation across the country,
• Spending under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) had already halved before the government suspended the scheme for two years in April 2020 and diverted the funds for managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
• From Rs. 5,012 crore spent during 2018-19, in 2019-29 expenditure of just Rs. 2,491.45 crore was taken up.

Background:

• After the scheme’s suspension, several MPs and parliamentary committees, including the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF), had asked the government to release MPLADS funds which were due from previous years for projects that were already sanctioned.
• On March 16 2021, an SCF report pointed out that many MPLADS projects that began earlier were left unfinished midway due to the suspension. of the scheme.
• The panel had sought the release of funds for these projects so that MPs could fulfil their promises to the public.
• Now, the FInance Ministry has given only a week’s time to MoSPI to release these funds. It is, thus, feared that major funds would lapse due to time constraint.

SOURCE:TH

2. CJI recuses himself from Andhra-Telangana case

IN NEWS:

The Chief Justice of India has recently recused himself from the Andhra-Telangana case.

KEY POINTS:

What is the background of the case?

• In July, Andhra Pradesh government had moved the top court claiming that the Telangana government refused to follow the decisions taken by the Apex Council constituted under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, the directions of Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) formed under this Act, and the Centre”s directives.
• The petition said the fundamental rights including right to life of the people living in Andhra Pradesh was “seriously impaired and infringed” upon as they were being deprived of their “legitimate share of water” due to “unconstitutional, illegal and unjust” acts of the Telangana government and its officials.

What is Apex Council?

• It has been constituted by the Central Government under the provisions of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (APRA), 2014.
• It supervises the functioning of the Godavari River Management Board and Krishna River Management Board
• It comprises the Union Jal Shakti Minister and the Chief Ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

What is Krishna River Management Board (KRMB)?

• Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) is an autonomous body established as per Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014 under the administrative control of Ministry of Jal Shakti
• Objective: To manage and regulate the waters in Krishna Basin in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• The headquarters of the KRMB shall be in Andhra Pradesh.

SOURCE:TH

3. Permanent Forum of People of African Descent

IN NEWS:

• Recently, the United Nations General Assembly has approved a resolution establishing a Permanent Forum of People of African Descent.
• The Forum focuses on the themes of recognition, justice and development.

Key Points

About the Forum:

• The forum will provide expert advice on addressing the challenges of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance.
• It will serve as “a platform for improving the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent” and their full inclusion in the societies where they live.
• It was given a series of mandates.
• They include helping to ensure “the full political, economic and social inclusion of people of African descent,” and providing recommendations on addressing racism to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, the General Assembly’s main committees and UN agencies.
• The forum will consist of 10 members:
• five elected by the General Assembly from all regions.
• five appointed by the Human Rights Council following consultations with regional groups and organizations of people of African descent.
• The resolution calls for the forum’s first session to take place in 2022.

SOURCE:IE

4. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award

IN NEWS:

• Recently, the Prime Minister renamed the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the country’s highest sporting honour, after hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand.
• This came a day after the Indian men’s hockey team won the bronze medal in the ongoing Tokyo Olympics and hours after the women’s team finished fourth.

Key Points

About:

• The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award will hereby be called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
• The now renamed Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award comes with a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh.
• Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is the highest sporting award given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four years.
• The award comprises a medallion, a certificate, and a cash prize of Rs 7.5 lakh.
• The Khel Ratna award was instituted in 1991-1992 and the first recipient was Chess legend Viswanathan Anand. Among the other winners were Leander Paes, Sachin Tendulkar, Dhanraj Pillay, Pullela Gopichand, Abhinav Bindra, Anju Bobby George, Mary Kom and Rani Rampal in 2020.

SOURCE:PIB

5. Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan Scheme.

IN NEWS:

Government announced on August 7, 2021 that approximately five crore beneficiaries have been enrolled and four crores have been trained under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan Scheme as of August 2, 2021.

KEY POINTS:

• According to Union Minister for women and Child Development, Smriti Irani, over two crore women beneficiaries are registered under the scheme.
• Out of them, one crore women beneficiaries are certified under scheme which accounts for 54 percent of the total certified beneficiaries under it.
• Government had the target of reaching six crore households by March 2022.
• This Scheme is applicable only in rural areas of India.
• All the households where not a single family member is digitally literate will be eligible under the Scheme.
• The beneficiary must be Digitally Illiterate.
• Only one person per eligible household would be provided with training in the age group of 14 – 60 years
• Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyaan
• This scheme was launched to make six crore persons residing in rural areas, across States and UTs, digitally literate.
• It was launched with the aim of bridging digital divide and specifically targeting rural population.
• It also includes marginalised sections of society such as Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Minorities, Below Poverty Line (BPL), women, differently-abled persons and minorities.
• This scheme is being initiated under Digital India Programme and would cover 6 crore households in rural areas in order to make them digitally literate.

SOURCE:IE

6. ‘PM-DAKSH’ Portal and ‘PM-DAKSH Mobile App’ to be launched.

IN NEWS:

Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar, is to launch ‘PM-DAKSH’ Portal and ‘PM-DAKSH’ Mobile App on August 7, 2021 in Nalanda Auditorium at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Delhi.

KEY POINTS:

• PM-DAKSH portal and Mobile App was developed in by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, in collaboration with National e-governance division (NeGD).
• Portal and app have been developed to make skill development schemes accessible to target groups of Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Safai Karamcharis.
• With the help of this initiative, youth of the target groups will be able to avail benefits of skill development training programmes in an easier manner.
• About PM-DAKSH
• PM-DAKSH stands for Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi Yojana. This scheme is being implemented by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment from the year 2020-21.  Under this scheme, eligible target group will be provided skill development training programmes on:
• Up-skilling or Re-skilling Programmes
• Short Term Training Programme
• Long Term Training Programme and
• Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP).

SOURCE:PIB

7. Doing Away With Retrospective Taxation.

IN NEWS:

• Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, introduced a Bill in Parliament to nullify the provisions of Income Tax Act.
• This bill has put an end to contentious retrospective tax law which has hit the confidence of foreign investors like Vodafone and Cairn.

KEY POINTS:

• Retrospective Taxation allows any country to pass a rule on taxing certain products, items or services.
• It charges companies from time behind the date on which any law is passed.
• This route is used by countries to correct any anomalies in their taxation policies.
• Countries like USA, UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Italy and Australia and have retrospectively taxed companies.
• Government also proposed to refund amount paid in litigation by companies without any interest.
• According to Finance Secretary T V Somanathan, total amount involved in all cases is about Rs 8,100 crore. About Rs 7,900 crore is related to Cairn dispute.

About the Bill

• Bill will withdraw the retrospective amendments in the Income Tax Act of 1961 that raised demands on Vodafone, Cairn and some others.
• This bill seeks to attract foreign investments.
• As per the bill, no tax demand would be raised in future based on the retrospective amendment for any indirect transfer of Indian assets, in case transaction was undertaken before May 28, 2012.

Vodafone case

• Vodafone case dates back to telco acquiring Indian assets of Hutchison Essar in 2007.
• There was a demand of Rs 22,100 crore. Government had filed an appeal against verdict in Singapore.
• India had also lost a case against taxing Cairn Energy Plc and Cairn UK holdings ltd in international arbitral tribunal at The Hague in 2020 on alleged capital gains that company made in 2006.
• Tribunal had asked India to pay Cairn an amount of $1232.8 million plus interest as well as $22.38 million towards arbitration and legal costs.

SOURCE:IE