Supreme Court bans use of bulls in sports
The Supreme Court put a ban on the use of bulls and bullocks in sports. These animals have been used in sports like Jallikattu (traditional bull fight of Tamil Nadu) and bullock-cart race (Maharashtra) for centuries. The court banned use of bullocks and bulls in these events on the ground that it amounted to cruelty against animals. Key observations of the Supreme Court:
- Bulls cannot be used as performing animals, either for the Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races in the States of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country.
- The Animal Welfare Board is permitted to take disciplinary action against defaulters.
- Parliament recommended raising rights of animals to that of “constitutional rights” to ensure observance of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act 1960.
- As per PCA Act Section 3 and Section 11(1)(m), it is an offence against a person who incites any animal to fight with a view to provideentertainment.
The Supreme Court put a ban on the use of bulls and bullocks in sports. These animals have been used in sports like Jallikattu (traditional bull fight of Tamil Nadu) and bullock-cart race (Maharashtra) for centuries. The court banned use of bullocks and bulls in these events on the ground that it amounted to cruelty against animals. Key observations of the Supreme Court:
- Bulls cannot be used as performing animals, either for the Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races in the States of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country.
- The Animal Welfare Board is permitted to take disciplinary action against defaulters.
- Parliament recommended raising rights of animals to that of “constitutional rights” to ensure observance of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act 1960.
- As per PCA Act Section 3 and Section 11(1)(m), it is an offence against a person who incites any animal to fight with a view to provideentertainment.
DGCA grants Flying License to AirAsia India
India’s aviation regulator DGCA granted flying license or Air Operator’s Permit (AOP) to the new airline AirAsia India. AirAsia India plans to have a 10-aircraft fleet within a year of start of its operations and these planes would be drawn from A-320 family of aircraft ordered by the AirAsia Group. The air carrier would initially concentrate on connecting non-metro towns and imitate its low-cost, no-frills model that has seen substantial success in Southeast Asia.
The $30 million venture was the first airline to be launched after the FDI norms in aviation were relaxed in September 2012. While AirAsia owns 49% stake in the Indian carrier, Tata Sons has 30% and Telstra Tradeplace holds the rest.
India’s aviation regulator DGCA granted flying license or Air Operator’s Permit (AOP) to the new airline AirAsia India. AirAsia India plans to have a 10-aircraft fleet within a year of start of its operations and these planes would be drawn from A-320 family of aircraft ordered by the AirAsia Group. The air carrier would initially concentrate on connecting non-metro towns and imitate its low-cost, no-frills model that has seen substantial success in Southeast Asia.
The $30 million venture was the first airline to be launched after the FDI norms in aviation were relaxed in September 2012. While AirAsia owns 49% stake in the Indian carrier, Tata Sons has 30% and Telstra Tradeplace holds the rest.
DGCA directs airlines to track flights in real time
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in its directives, has made it mandatory for airlines and private operators to track their aircraft’s flight on real-time basis and ensure that necessary devices are functional before take-off.
As per the instructions issue by the DGCA:
- Indian scheduled and non-scheduled operators are required to track aircraft in real time using onboard Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) or Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B).
- Airlines and private operators have to ensure that all essential devices are functional before take-off.
- The instructions apply to both passenger and cargo planes.
- DGCA will review implementation of the directives during surveillance inspections.
Backdrop:
The directives have been issued close on the heels of vanishing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, which has been missing for two months now. MH370 which took-off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing disappeared on March 8, 2014.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in its directives, has made it mandatory for airlines and private operators to track their aircraft’s flight on real-time basis and ensure that necessary devices are functional before take-off.
As per the instructions issue by the DGCA:
- Indian scheduled and non-scheduled operators are required to track aircraft in real time using onboard Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) or Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B).
- Airlines and private operators have to ensure that all essential devices are functional before take-off.
- The instructions apply to both passenger and cargo planes.
- DGCA will review implementation of the directives during surveillance inspections.
Backdrop:
The directives have been issued close on the heels of vanishing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, which has been missing for two months now. MH370 which took-off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing disappeared on March 8, 2014.
‘Do not charge penalty on pre-payment of floating loans’: RBI to Banks
The RBI gave relief to borrowers as it directed banks not to levy any penalty on individual borrowers for pre-payment of floating loans. The central bank has barred banks from imposing foreclosure charges or pre-payment penalties on all floating rate term loans sanctioned to individual borrowers, with immediate effect.
Floating loan products include housing, corporate, vehicle and personal loans. Some banks are charging pre-payment penalty of up to 2% of the outstanding loans.
In 2012, RBI had disallowed banks from charging foreclosure charges or pre-payment penalties on home loans on floating interest rate basis. It is assumed that elimination of foreclosure charges or prepayment penalty on home loans will bring down the discrimination between existing and new borrowers and the competition among banks will result in better pricing of home loans with the floating rate.
The RBI gave relief to borrowers as it directed banks not to levy any penalty on individual borrowers for pre-payment of floating loans. The central bank has barred banks from imposing foreclosure charges or pre-payment penalties on all floating rate term loans sanctioned to individual borrowers, with immediate effect.
Floating loan products include housing, corporate, vehicle and personal loans. Some banks are charging pre-payment penalty of up to 2% of the outstanding loans.
In 2012, RBI had disallowed banks from charging foreclosure charges or pre-payment penalties on home loans on floating interest rate basis. It is assumed that elimination of foreclosure charges or prepayment penalty on home loans will bring down the discrimination between existing and new borrowers and the competition among banks will result in better pricing of home loans with the floating rate.
Indian Navy operationally deploys INS Vikramaditya
As per the announcement made by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Robin Kumar Dhowan, the newly inducted aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, is now operationally deployed and its integral MiG-29K fighters have been fully integrated with the carrier. The 44,500-tonne aircraft carrier bought from Russia at a cost of $2.33 billion had arrived in India in January, 2014 and is positioned at Karwar inKarnataka.
Also, INS Vikrant, the first indigeneously built aircraft carrier being built at the Cochin shipyard, will be ready for trials in 2017 and for delivery by 2018-end.
Thailand court sacks PM Yingluck Shinawatra
The Prime Minister of Thailand, Yingluck Shinawatra and several cabinet ministers have been ordered to resign by the Constitutional Court of the country. The court ordered that Ms Yingluck acted illegally when she transferred her national security chief Thawil Pliensri to another position in 2011. The order has come after months of political impasse. Anti-government protesters have been trying to topple Ms Yingluck regime since November 2013. The remaining cabinet members have nominated the commerce minister to replace Ms Yingluck. Ms Yingluck had been accused of abuse of power in improperly transferring Thawil Pliensri, her national security chief appointed by the opposition-led administration, in 2011.
Political situation in Thailand:
Thailand has been undergoing a power struggle since Ms Yingluck’s brother, Thaksin Shinawatra who was PM was thrown out in 2006 by a military coup. Mr Thaksin and his family are detested by some urban and middle-class elites who accuse them of corruption and abuse of power. But Mr Thaksin’s policies hugely popular in rural areas won both the elections since the coup have returned Thaksin-allied governments to power. Court rulings have, in the past, been a key factor amid political turmoil in Thailand.
SC upholds constitutional validity of Right to Education Act
The constitutional validity of Right to Education Act (RTE Act) has been upheld by the Supreme Court. RTE Act mandates that 25% seats in all schools be reserved for the economically disadvantaged children.
As per the Supreme Court decision:
- The 93rd Amendment Act, 2005, inserting clause (5) in Article 15 enables the State to make special provisions for members of the SCs, STs and socially and educationally backward classes, for admission to all educational institutions, including private unaided institutions, but except minority institutions, did not violate basic structure of the Constitution.
- The RTE Act will not be applicable to minority schools, whether aided or unaided. The minority aided educational institutions could not be compelled to provide free and compulsory education to children belonging to weaker sections.
- Articles 15(5) and 21-A of the Constitution in so far as it relates to unaided educational institutions to provide compulsory education for children in the age group of 6 to 14 years are constitutional.
- The 93rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2005, is in line with the socialistic aspirations mentioned in the Preamble and the directive principles of the Constitution and to ensure the progress of the weaker sections in the democratic state, aiming at the egalitarian ethos.
Provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2010, are valid.
El Nino effect may shrink India’s GDP by 1.75%: Assocham
As per a report by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India(ASSOCHAM), the 5% deficiency in rains due to possible El Nino factor in this monsoon could impact India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 1.75% in the 2014-15 fiscal, affecting lakhs of unskilled jobs. Rain deficit could also impact food inflation, which has always been a concern to policy makers. The loss to the GDP of about 1.75 % would be equivalent to around Rs 1,80,000 crore.
Indian agriculture in heavily dependent on rains as about 60% of net sown area of the country is rain-fed. With every 1% deficit in rains, the country’s GDP plummets by 0.35%. Therefore, a good agricultural output is a must for India to increase demand for services and industrial products.
India is forecasted to have below normal monsoon in 2014 with Meteorological department predicting 95% rainfall because of the El-Nino effect, which is generally linked with the warming of ocean water.
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