Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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Women should get equal share of property gained after marriage upon divorce: Law panel

News

• There is need to recognise the role of woman in a household, and regardless of her financial contribution, she should get an equal part of the property gained after marriage upon divorce, the Law Commission suggested.

Beyond News

• It said all personal and secular laws should be amended accordingly.
• However, it cautioned that at the same time, this principle did not automatically translate to an ‘absolute’ equal split of property at the end of the relationship, as in a number of cases such a yardstick may bring an “unfair burden” to one of the parties.
• It said all property acquired after marriage of either spouse be treated as a unit between the couple.
• It was often women who compromised on careers in order to support families and they also contributed to a major share of housework that was never calculated in monetary terms, the paper said.
• Society inadequately valued housework, it said, adding that for working women, child-bearing resulted in a career break that affected their employment in a way that it did not affect their husband’s career.
• It said this principle did not mean that inherited property would be included in this division “but its value can be taken in to account by the court for determining maintenance and alimony”.
• The paper suggested that the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, the Special Marriage Act, 1954, the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936 (for Christians) and the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939, be amended to reflect this change.
• The Special Marriage Act is described as a ‘secular law’ as inter-faith marriages are solemnised under it.
• Instead of a full-fledged report for a uniform civil code, the Commission preferred a consultation paper as it had little time at hand to bring out a comprehensive report.

Trapped heat below Arctic surface could melt entire region’s ice: study

News

• ‘Archived’ heat trapped below the surface of the Arctic has the potential to melt the entire region’s sea ice, scientists warn.

Findings

• The study, shows that Arctic sea ice is not just threatened by the melting of ice around its edges.
• Warmer water that originated hundreds of miles away has penetrated deep into the interior of the Arctic, researchers found.
• The upper ocean in the Canadian Basin has seen a two-fold increase in heat content over the past 30 years, the researchers said.
• They traced the source to waters hundreds of miles to the south, where reduced sea ice has left the surface ocean more exposed to summer solar warming. In turn, Arctic winds are driving the warmer water north, but below the surface waters.
• This means the effects of sea-ice loss are not limited to the ice-free regions themselves, but also lead to increased heat accumulation in the interior of the Arctic Ocean that can have climate effects well beyond the summer season.
• Presently this heat is trapped below the surface layer. Should it be mixed up to the surface, there is enough heat to entirely melt the sea-ice pack that covers this region for most of the year.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

For the first time, Census 2021 to collect data on OBCs

News

• Census 2021 will for the first time collect data on Other Backward Classes (OBC), the Centre said.

Beyond News

• The decennial exercise will involve 25 lakh trained enumerators and the use of “maps/georeferencing at the time of house listing is also under consideration.”
• A senior Minister said the decision to count the OBCs in the next Census was to get a correct perspective on the social status in the country.
• The 2011 caste data collected as part of Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) is yet to be released by the Centre. As per the National Commission for Backward Classes, there are 2,479 entries in the Central list of the OBCs.
• The 2011 Census collected information in 29 categories that included a separate column for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes. A senior Home Ministry official said the OBCs would also be an option in the column in 2021.
• Home Minister reviewed the functioning of the Office of Registrar General and the Census Commissioner.
• It was emphasised that improvements in design and technological interventions be made so as to ensure that the Census data is finalised within three years after conducting of Census. At present it takes 7 to 8 years to release the complete data, the statement said.
• The enumerators will start “house listing” in 2020 and the headcount will begin from February 2021. It was also informed that nearly 25 lakh enumerators are trained and engaged for the gigantic exercise and accurate collection of data will be ensured in Census 2021.
• Home Minister also emphasised the need for improvement in Civil Registration System, especially on registration of birth and death in remote areas, and strengthening sample registration system for estimating the data namely, infant mortality rate, maternal mortality ratio and fertility rates.
• The Census Organisation was set up on an ad-hoc basis for each Census till the 1951 Census when the Census Act was enacted in 1948 to provide for the scheme of conducting population census with duties and responsibilities of census officers.
• Earlier, the Home Ministry issued notification that the data collected during 2021 Census would be stored electronically, also a first.

Root out terror: BIMSTEC

News

• Describing terrorism as a “great threat” to international peace and security, India and six other BIMSTEC nations called for identifying and holding accountable states and non-state entities that encourage, support or finance terrorism, provide sanctuaries to terrorists and falsely extol their virtues.

Beyond News

• The BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) is a regional grouping comprising India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.
• The Kathmandu Declaration issued at the end of the two-day fourth BIMSTEC summit, attended by Prime Minister, deplored terror attacks in all parts of the world, including in BIMSTEC countries, and stressed that there could be no justification for any act of terrorism.
• The unanimously adopted declaration said that, the fight against terrorism should target not only terrorists, terror organisations and networks but also identify and hold accountable states and non-state entities that encourage, support or finance terrorism, provide sanctuaries to terrorists and terror groups and falsely extol their virtues.
• The declaration did not name any specific country, but Pakistan is often accused by its neighbours, including India, of providing safe havens to terrorists.
• The declaration underlined the importance of multidimensional connectivity, which promotes synergy among connectivity frameworks in the region, as a key enabler to economic integration for shared prosperity.
• An MoU was signed on establishment of the BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection. The MoU provides for optimisation of using energy resources in the region and promotion of efficient & secure operation of power system.

India invites Pakistan experts to hydroelectric project sites in J&K

News

• India has invited Pakistan to visit sites of the Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnal hydroelectric projects on the Chenab.

Beyond News

• India and Pakistan concluded the 115th meeting of theIndia-Pakistan Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) in Lahore. The Indian delegation was led by the Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters.
• As per the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty 1960, technical discussions were held on implementation of various hydroelectric projects including Pakal Dul (1000 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW) in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Both the countries agreed to undertake the Treaty-mandated tours of both the Indus Commissioners in the Indus basin on both sides. Deliberations were also held on further strengthening the role of the Permanent Indus Commission for matters under the Treaty.
• Though a routine affair, the talks in Lahore were the first bilateral engagement between India and Pakistan since Prime Minister Imran Khan took office.
• Under the provisions of the Treaty, waters of the eastern rivers Sutlej, Beas and Ravi had been allocated to India and the western rivers the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab to Pakistan, except for certain non-consumptive uses for India.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

Indian economy records 8.2% growth in first quarter of 2018-19

News

• The Indian economy grew at a 15-quarter high of 8.2% in the April-June quarter of current fiscal on good show by manufacturing and farm sectors, according to government data released.

Beyond News

• The growth cemented India’s position as the fastest growing major economy, clocking higher expansion rate than China’s 6.7 in the same quarter.
• The gross domestic product (GDP) at constant (2011-12) prices in the first quarter of 2018-19 is estimated at ₹33.74 lakh crore, against ₹31.18 lakh crore in Q1 of 2017-18, showing a growth rate of 8.2%, a Central Statistics Office statement said.
• The quarterly GVA (Gross Value Added) at basic price at constant (2011-2012) prices for Q1 of 2018-19 is estimated at ₹31.63 lakh crore, against ₹29.29 lakh crore in Q1 of 2017-18, showing a growth rate of 8% over the year-ago period, it said.
• The previous high quarterly GDP growth was recorded in July-September period in 2014-15 at 8.4%.
• As per the data, the quarterly GVA at basic prices for Q1 2018-19 from the ‘manufacturing’ sector grew by 13.5%, compared to contraction of 1.8% in Q1 2017-18.
• The Quarterly GVA at basic prices for Q1 2018-19 from ‘agriculture, forestry and fishing’ sector grew by 5.3% as compared to growth of 3% in Q1 2017-18.

The Nilgiri tahr climbs population charts

News

• In a heartening development for conservationists, a recent census has revealed that the population of the Nilgiri tahr (an endangered mountain goat) at the Mukurthi National Park has grown by an impressive 18% in the last two years, from 480 to 568.

Beyond News

• Tamil Nadu Forest Department officials said that a count conducted in 2016 had put the population in the national park at around 480, but a revised count in 2017 pegged it at 438.
• The population estimation exercise, completed in May, was conducted jointly by the Forest Department and the Department of Zoology and Wildlife Biology, Government Arts College.
• Apart from the increase in numbers, the sex ratio, too, was encouraging.
• If that is the good news, the bad news is that the population also faces several threats. Researchers point to the continuing spread of invasive species of flora, such as wattle and pine, and exotic weeds like scotch broom (Cystisus scoparius) and gorse, which end up diminishing grazing land.
• The rise in the animals’ population has led to a few herds migrating out of the national park, into the erstwhile Nilgiris South Forest Division.
• Forest Department was stepping up efforts to remove exotics, with wattle eliminated in over 125 hectares of Shola grasslands.

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