Odisha Minister shot dead by former security officer
Summary:
The Health and Family Welfare Minister of Odisha, Naba Kisore Das, was shot dead by an assistant sub-inspector of police named Gopal Das, who was the minister's former personal security officer. The incident occurred when the minister was stepping out of his vehicle to attend a function in Brajarajnagar. The police overpowered the assailant after two rounds of fire. Despite medical efforts, the minister was declared dead at 8 PM with a bullet injury to his heart and left lung causing internal bleeding. The shooter was said to have mental depression and was undergoing treatment for manic depressive disorder. The Crime Branch of the State police has been ordered to investigate the attack. The motivation and mental condition of the shooter and if the murder was pre-planned is unknown.
Student enrolments in higher studies rose by 7.5% in 2020-21: AISHE data
Summary:
The Union Education Ministry released data from the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-2021, showing a 7.5% increase in student enrollments across the country, totaling 4.13 crore. There was a 7% rise in enrollments in distance education programs. The number of SC, ST, and OBC students enrolled in higher education increased, while the proportion of SC students dropped to 14.2% and OBC students dropped to 35.8%. The proportion of Muslim students dropped to 4.6%. Female enrollment increased to 49% and the Gross Enrollment Ratio increased by over 2 points to 27.3. The most popular courses were Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Commerce. Women lagged behind men in STEM fields. The number of universities increased by 70 and the number of colleges increased by 1,453. 59.1% of universities are government and contribute 73.1% of total enrollment, while 40% of private universities contribute 26.3%. SC and ST teachers continued to be underrepresented among the teaching staff.
Court issues directions to engage paralegal volunteers to trace missing children
Summary:
The High Court in Delhi has asked the Delhi State Legal Services Authority to create a plan for implementing a program to engage paralegal volunteers at police stations to help people in cases involving missing children and offenses against children. The plan must take into account the direction of the Supreme Court, which in September last year directed all states and territories to appoint paralegal volunteers in every police station to assist people. The court stressed that the program is mandated by the Juvenile Justice Act and must be implemented urgently. The Delhi government counsel said they are actively considering the issue and will provide a response in the next hearing on January 31.
Telangana to move HC over budget file
Summary:
The Telangana government is expected to file a petition in the High Court on Monday seeking approval from the Governor for the state budget to be presented in the first week of February during the assembly budget session. The state government will be represented by Supreme Court senior counsel Dushyant Dave in the petition. The budget file was sent to the Governor in the third week of January.
EDITORIAL
In NREGA reforms, prioritise the worker and her dues
Summary:
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a social security program in India facing difficulties and in need of reform. The program is underperforming due to ignored design principles, issues with wage payments and their processing, and lack of funding. A committee has been formed to suggest reforms but the article suggests that the first priority should be to address delays in wage payments, strengthen implementation capacities in states with low expenditure, and run the program as a demand-based law instead of a scheme. The article highlights the case of Bihar, where the lack of timely fund releases has led to a decline in demand for work under MGNREGA.
Revisit the tax treatment of tobacco products
Summary:
India's Goods and Services Tax (GST) system for tobacco taxation has features that hinder efforts to regulate consumption, including overuse of ad valorem taxes and discrepancies in product taxation. The GST system relies more on ad valorem taxes than the pre-GST system, which primarily used specific excise taxes. The GST system does not effectively tax smokeless tobacco products, and small businesses producing or distributing tobacco products are exempt from GST. The article suggests that specific taxes be revised regularly, all tobacco products be taxed consistently, the current tiered tax structure for cigarettes be eliminated, and all products used exclusively for tobacco making be brought under the uniform 28% GST slab. Additionally, mandatory standardised packing should be implemented for smokeless tobacco, and conditions should be imposed on GST exemptions for small businesses to prevent tobacco businesses from benefiting from them.
Shortfall of specialist doctors in rural areas was 80% in 2022
Summary:
The shortage of specialist doctors in rural India's Community Healthcare Centers has increased over the past decade. In 2022, there was a 79.5% shortfall of specialists, up 10% from 2012. The shortage was particularly acute in rural areas, where there was a shortfall of 74.2% for obstetricians/gynaecologists and 83.2% for surgeons. In urban areas, there was a 46.9% shortfall. In 2012, 20 of 27 states had a shortfall of Community Healthcare Centers, reducing to 17 in 2022. In 2022, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Sikkim had nearly a 100% shortfall of specialists, while the lowest shortfall was in Karnataka (46%), Andhra Pradesh (64%) and J&K (43%).
India’s call to modify the Indus Waters Treaty
Summary:
India has asked to modify the 63-year-old Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan due to the latter's objections to India's Kishenganga and Ratle hydro-power projects in Kashmir. The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 by India and Pakistan and meditated by the World Bank after both countries applied for funding for their respective irrigation projects. The treaty divided the Indus river basin into two and prescribed how water from six rivers would be shared. Three western rivers were allocated to Pakistan and three eastern rivers to India. The treaty also established a Permanent Indus Commission for information exchange and conflict resolution. Pakistan has repeatedly raised objections to the Kishenganga and Ratle projects, with the former relating to the height of a dam on a tributary of the Jhelum river and the latter regarding the design of an hydroelectric power project on the Chenab river.
Command postings for women officers in the Army
Summary:
The Army has conducted a Women Officers Special No 3 Selection Board from January 9 to 22 for the promotion from the rank of Lieutenant Colonel to Colonel. 244 women officers are considered for promotion against the 108 vacancies released by the government. This is a major step towards bringing women officers at par with their male counterparts. Based on the selection, the first set of postings will be issued by the end of January 2023. The Army has granted Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers at par with their male counterparts in all arms and services other than combat arms. Women officers will soon be inducted into the Corps of Artillery as well. Command postings in the Army mean that officers will command other officers and men and lead them from the front. Women officers are undergoing special training courses and assignments to empower them for higher leadership roles. Five Women Officers have cleared the Defence Services Staff Course and will undergo a one-year course to be considered for command appointments. These developments will allow women officers to assume challenging leadership roles, akin to their male counterparts.
Lessons from Ukraine war: UAVs, missiles are likely future threats
Summary:
The Indian army has learned about the threat of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as a result of its analysis of the war in Ukraine. The Indian army is currently transitioning its air defense system and is in the process of modernizing its system. A project to improve the network and automation of the air defense system, similar to the Indian air force's system, is ready and scheduled to go for approval by the end of March.
Offcials see organised attempt to foment trouble in Jammu region
Summary:
Security agencies have successfully prevented the majority of terrorist attacks in the Jammu division over the past three years. However, after the withdrawal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, militant activity has increased. Twin terror attacks in January of this year have highlighted ongoing attempts to revive militancy in Jammu, which had seen relative peace in recent decades. The terrorists behind the attacks have not been identified and remain at large. Officials have stated that the recovery of large amounts of explosives points to organized efforts to foment trouble in both Jammu and the Kashmir Valley. The government has decided to increase the presence of the CRPF in the Rajouri and Poonch districts and to arm civilians in border villages in Jammu under the Village Defense Guards scheme. Additionally, large quantities of arms and explosives are suspected to be making their way to the region from across the border with the help of drones.
Article 370 of the Indian Constitution provided special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which allowed the state to have its own constitution and autonomy in certain matters. On August 5, 2019, the Indian government revoked Article 370, effectively ending the state's special status and integrating it into the rest of India as a Union Territory. The move was controversial and led to protests, as well as an increase in militant activity in the region. In the past two years, there have been targeted killings of Hindus and Kashmiri Pandits in the region, as well as terrorist attacks and infiltration from across the border. To counter these threats, the government has increased the presence of the Central Reserve Police Force and armed civilians in border villages through the Village Defence Guards scheme.
India’s teenage talent scripts fantastic triumph
Summary:
India won its maiden ICC U-19 Women's World Cup title with a seven-wicket victory over England at Senwes Park. India bowled out England for 68 and chased down the target in 14 overs. Titas Sadhu's 4-0-6-2 and Parshavi's 2-13 were the highlights of India's bowling, while Shafali Verma and Soumya Tiwari played key roles in the chase. India's win was a result of a specific plan and execution, which was facilitated by strong fielding, including direct hits, stumpings, and catches.