Central Vista works get nod

·        The construction of the prime minister’s residence under the ambitious Central Vista project will be completed by December 2022, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has informed a government-appointed expert panel, which has given its nod to the project.

·        The CPWD, which is the project developer, informed the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) that the expansion of the Parliament building and the construction of a new Parliament building will be done by November 2022 and the prime minister’s residence will be constructed by December 2022.

·        The Ministry of Environment has already granted the clearance for the expansion and renovation of the existing Parliament building, which is part of the Rs-13,450 crore Central Vista Redevelopment Project.

Polity & Governance

Left, TMC, BJP buck anti-incumbency; DMK bags T.N. 

The News:

West Bengal

Despite BJP leaders campaigned vigorously in the State holding several public meetings and road shows, Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee led her party to one of its biggest political victories in the past three decades by single-handedly stopping the BJP juggernaut in Bengal, paving the way for her return as Chief Minister for a third consecutive term. 

Assam

The BJP and its allies, the Asom Gana Parishad and the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), had won 46 of 68 seats declared at the time of reporting, and were leading in 27 other seats.

Polity & Governance

SC to advance its summer vacation

The News:

·        The Supreme Court has advanced its summer vacation in view of a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases across India. 

·        According to the revised schedule, the vacation will start on May 10, 2021, and the Court will reopen on June 28, 2021, a circular issued by the court announced. 

·        Earlier, the vacation was scheduled to commence on May 14 and end on June 30.

Supply oxygen or face contempt: HC

The News:

·        Taking note of 12 deaths at Batra Hospital in the capital due to lack of oxygen supply, the Delhi High Court on Saturday directed the Centre to supply 490 MT of allocated oxygen to Delhi by whatever means or face action for contempt of court.

·        “Water has gone over our head. Now we mean business. Enough is enough,” a visibly upset Bench of Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rekha Palli said.

·        The SC Bench has directed the Centre to ensure that NCT of Delhi receives its allocated supply of 490 MT during the day itself.

·        The apex court said that considering the fact that Delhi is not an industrial state, and does not have availability of cryogenic tankers of its own which could be requisitioned under the Disaster Management Act – like other states have done, it falls upon the Centre to arrange the tankers as well, so that the allocation made to Delhi could be fulfilled, lest it remains only a paper allocation.”

·        SC also said that ,“The Centre shall ensure availability of cryogenic tankers as well for the said supply”.

A cryotank or cryogenic tank is a tank that is used to store material at very low temperatures. The term "cryotank" refers to storage of super-cold fuels, such as liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.

J&K govt. teacher dismissed under Article 311 without inquiry

• A Jammu & Kashmir government teacher — who in the police records is a Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH) supporter — was terminated from his services.
• The action was taken by the Lieutenant Governor under the provisions of the Article 311 of the Constitution of India.

Article 311:

• Article 311 deals with dismissal, removal or reduction in rank of persons employed in civil capacities under the Union or a State.
• Article 311(2), sub clause (c) notes that where the President or the Governor, as the case may be, is satisfied that in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold such inquiry into the allegations against a person, enquiry may be skipped.

Polity & Governance

Do not clamp down on citizens’ SOS calls via social media

The News:

·        While hearing a suo motu PIL on Covid management, the Supreme Court said that states can’t take coercive action against people sharing distressing information on social media to seek medical help for their dear ones during Covid-19 pandemic.

·        The apex court clarified that it doesn’t want any clampdown on information and it also made it clear that if citizens communicate their grievances on social media and the Internet then it can’t be said it’s wrong information.

·        The SC also clarified that, if such grievances are considered for action then they will be treated as a contempt of court.

Centre to train doctors in remote areas 

The News:

·        The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has said that as we are now entering Phase 2 & 3 of Covid-19, it has become essential to train even village doctors in handling the disease.

·        The government has tasked 14 regional centres of excellence including AIIMS New Delhi and others to conduct training of government and private doctors across smaller towns and even villages in the management of COVID, a new disease.

Reason:

The second wave's rate of rise has been too rapid for the health infrastructure to cope and doubling rate of cases has reduced drastically.

Address local issues, PM tells ministers

Prime Minister Narender Modi recently had a virtual meeting with the Union Council of Ministers to discuss the situation arising out of the second wave of COVID-19 in the country. It noted that the pandemic has led to a “once-in-a-century” crisis and thrown a big challenge to the world.

·        This was the first meeting of the council of ministers in the aftermath of the second wave of the pandemic in the country.

Details:

·        Amid the COVID-19 crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Union ministers to stay in touch with the people of their respective regions, help them and keep getting their feedback on the situation.

·        The PM stressed upon the need to ensure that issues at the local level are promptly identified and addressed.

·        The council was briefed about the steps being taken to ramp up the number of hospital beds, oxygen facilities and resolve issues related to the availability of oxygen and essential medicines.

·        The support measures for the vulnerable population in the form of free foodgrains and financial support to Jan Dhan account holders were also discussed at the meeting.

·        The meeting was informed that 15 crore anti-COVID vaccine doses have so far been administered to people, while it was also pointed out that the country could successfully produce two vaccines and there are many vaccine candidates at various stages of approval and induction.

·        The council of ministers also highlighted the importance of COVID-appropriate behaviour—wearing masks, maintaining a physical distance of six feet with others and washing hands frequently.

·        Emphasising that the participation of the society is a key aspect to accomplish the gigantic task ahead, the ministers expressed confidence that the country will rise to the occasion and defeat the virus.

Polity & Governance

Childhood vaccinations must not be delayed

The News:

Experts have stressed on the importance of vaccines by stating that childhood vaccinations are crucial to ensure the health and well-being of children and must not be delayed or missed.

·        Vaccination has been the biggest contributor to the health of mankind

·        Primary vaccinations (those given in the first nine months), should not be postponed if possible.

·        the aim is to protect the baby from deadly diseases that can kill them in the first year of life.

Polity & Governance

Centre notifies Act giving more powers to Delhi L-G

The News:

The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a gazette notification stating that the provisions of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021, would be deemed to have come into effect from April 27, 2021.

·        The Act gives the Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi more powers and significantly waters down the powers of both the elected government and the Legislative Assembly.

·        The Act will clarify the expression “Government” and address ambiguities in the legislative provisions to promote harmonious relations between the legislature and the executive.

·        The Act defines the responsibilities of the elected government and the L-G along with the constitutional scheme of governance of the NCT interpreted by the Supreme Court in recent judgments regarding the division of powers between the two entities.

·        It will also seek to ensure that the L-G is necessarily granted an opportunity to exercise powers entrusted to him under clause (4) of Article 239AA of the Constitution.

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021:

• The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was recently introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Lok Sabha.

Background:

Administrative tug of war:

• Delhi has been witness to administrative tug of war between the Delhi government and Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G). The L-G refused to send files regarding three reserved subjects — land, police and public order — to the Chief Minister’s office.
• Several orders issued by the Delhi government related to matters such as transfer of bureaucrats, setting up of Commissions of Inquiry and the administration of the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), were either declared void or reversed by the L-G citing procedural lacunae ranging from lack of approval from his office to not being constitutionally empowered to take such decisions.

Judiciary’s take:

• The issue was taken by the Delhi government to the Delhi High Court which, in August 2016, held that the L-G had “complete control” of matters related to the NCT and “nothing will happen without the concurrence of the L-G”. However, the judgment held that the L-G was bound by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers in some matters. The Delhi government then moved the Supreme Court.
• A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court held that the “real authority to take decisions lies in the elected government”. The Court stated that the NCT’s government, needed only to inform the L-G of its “well-deliberated” decisions instead of obtaining his “concurrence” in every issue of day-to-day governance.
• Another two-judge bench hearing the issue of Services — the transfer and posting of bureaucrats — and power over the ACB delivered a split verdict and noted that though the L-G was free to form an opinion on any matter, the L-G should not intervene routinely but only in matters fundamental to Delhi.

Details:

• Under the new bill, modifications have been proposed to four sections of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991.

• The amendments seek to promote “harmonious relations between the legislature and the executive”.
• It provides for rules made by the Legislative Assembly of Delhi to be “consistent with the rules of the House of the People” or the Lok Sabha.
• The Bill seeks to define the responsibilities of the elected government and the Lieutenant Governor along the constitutional scheme of governance of the NCT interpreted by the Supreme Court in recent judgments regarding the division of powers between the two entities.
• The amendments also propose to ensure that the Lieutenant Governor is “necessarily granted an opportunity” to exercise powers entrusted to him under proviso to Clause (4) of Article 239AA of the Constitution.

• Clause (4) of Article 239AA of the Constitution provides for a Council of Ministers headed by a Chief Minister for the NCT to “aid and advise the Lieutenant Governor” in the exercise of his functions for matters in which the Legislative Assembly has the power to make laws.

Concerns:

• Some experts believe that the amendments may render the NCT government to function with lesser autonomy.
• The move to render the elected representatives to function with lesser autonomy marks the taking back of the right of Delhi’s citizens to vote for those they deem fit to administer them.

Counter view:

• The new bill seeks to address ambiguities in legislative provisions related to the administration of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
• The elected government of Delhi had always been a local administrative body to be headed by the L-G as an administrator and the recent bill only tries to rectify any ambiguities regarding the same.

Polity & Governance

MHA advises States to impose localised 14-day lockdowns

The News:

·        Amid an alarming COVID 19 surge, the Centre advised stringent containment and lockdown measures in districts reporting either more than 10 per cent positivity rate over the last one week or more than 60 per cent occupancy of beds supported by oxygen or in ICU.

·        Due to lack of health infrastructure, there is an urgent need for states to consider strict COVID management and control measures in surge areas to break the chain of transmission and to flatten the current curve of the epidemic. 

·         

Centre said local containment must focus on three strategic areas of intervention, which include:-

1.     containment,

2.     clinical management and

3.     community engagement

India ranked 49th in CGGI

What’s in News?

India has been ranked 49th in the Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI), which classifies 104 countries in terms of government capabilities and outcomes.

Finland has topped the CGGI list, in which each country is measured across over 50 open data points.

·        “Civil service innovation and capacity building is a key focus for the Indian government.

·        The Chandler Good Government Index shows the importance of measuring and investing in governance capabilities that matter.

·        It highlights a key need for ‘pracademics’ in government – people who combine a rigorous understanding of research and data with a practical and grounded sense of what governments need to do to succeed.

CGGI:

About:

·        The CGGI is the most comprehensive index of effective national government in the world.

·        It measures the capabilities and effectiveness of governments in 104 countries.

·        The Index is made up of 34 indicators which are organised into seven broad pillars: -

leadership and foresight; robust laws and policies; strong institutions; financial stewardship; attractive marketplace; global influence and reputation; and helping people rise.

·        The Index uses more than 50 publicly available global data sources. Since data sources come in a variety of formats, the data from each source is normalised, given equal weight, and aggregated to produce the final CGGI score on a scale of 0 (lowest score) to 1 (highest score).

 Importance

·        The Index stems from the belief that good national governance and national prosperity are deeply connected.This relationship between national governance and prosperity is characterised by three principles:

1.     Government capabilities matter, and governments need to invest time and effort into enhancing these capabilities

2.     Effective governments create opportunities for citizens to thrive, building the foundation of national development and prosperity

3.     Good governance leads to better outcomes and increased public trust; high levels of public trust make it easier for governments to do their work.

·        It is important that governments have the means to measure their capabilities and achievements. This will support them in taking concrete steps to enhance their effectiveness, and to build good outcomes for national progress and prosperity.

Implications of the Report:

·       This analysis indicates that countries across a broad spectrum of population sizes fare well in terms of both capabilities and outcomes.

·       Large countries with established federal systems of government, such as the US, perform well, as do much smaller countries with unitary systems of government such as Singapore and the UAE.

·       The most populous countries in the world – China and India – exceed the CGGI average score for government capabilities, but not for outcomes.

·      These results do not prove that population size is meaningless. Now, as in the past, size matters. However, the CGGI shows that a country’s destiny is not determined by its size alone. Each country faces complex and distinctive circumstances, and a unique set of assets and challenges.

·        In India, the performance of individual states across governance metrics will often deviate from the national average. Moreover, there are also likely to be significant subnational variations that could drive India’s performance in one direction or another.

·        India is one of the country where effective police reform has been seen  – and it’s invariably tied to leaders. The problem is institutionalising the cultures of integrity, because those leaders change and corruption slips back in.

Does Good Governance Support Socioeconomic Progress?

Beyond GDP and income levels, good governance is also closely associated with good social outcomes for individuals, communities and societies.

Polity & Governance

PM CARES to fund 551 oxygen plants in hospitals 

The News:

·        In line with Prime Minister’s direction of boosting availability of oxygen to hospitals, the PM CARES Fund has given in-principle approval for allocation of funds for installation of 551 dedicated Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Medical Oxygen Generation Plants inside public health facilities in the country.

·        PM has directed that these plants should be made functional as soon as possible. He said that these plants will serve as a major boost to oxygen availability at the district level.

·        These dedicated plants will be established in identified Government hospitals in district headquarters in various States/UTs. The procurement will be done through Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Objectives and benefits:

·        The basic aim behind establishing PSA Oxygen Generation Plants at Government hospitals in the district headquarters is to further strengthen the public health system and ensure that each of these hospitals has a captive oxygen generation facility.

·        Such an in-house captive oxygen generation facility would address the day to day medical oxygen needs of these hospitals and the district.

·         In addition, the liquid medical oxygen (LMO) would serve as a “top up” to the captive oxygen generation.

·        Such a system will go a long way in ensuring that Government hospitals in the districts do not face sudden disruption of oxygen supplies and have access to adequate uninterrupted oxygen supply to manage the COVID-19 patients and other patients needing such support.

Pressure swing adsorption (PSA):

·        Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) is a technology used to separate some gas species from a mixture of gases under pressure.

·        PSA operates at near-ambient temperatures (temperature relating to the immediate surroundings) and differs significantly from cryogenic distillation techniques of gas separation.

·        Cryogenic separation is a commercial process that takes place at very low temperature.

PM CARES Fund

• The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) was created on 28 March 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic.
• It will be used for relief efforts against the coronavirus outbreak and similar pandemic like situations in the future.
• The Chairman of the PM-CARES fund is the Prime Minister of India.
• The Prime Minister has the power to nominate members. The other members of the PM CARES Fund are the Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister.

18-44 age group may get jabs only through private facilities 

The News:

The third phase of the nationwide inoculation drive is set to begin on May 1. India has already administered 14.09 crore doses of the two vaccines approved for emergency use - Covishield and Covaxin.

·        The government has made it mandatory for those in the 18-44 age group to register themselves on the CoWIN portal and get an appointment for vaccination against Coronavirus, saying walk-ins will not be allowed initially to avoid"chaos" at immunisation centres once the inoculations drive opens up substantially.

·        However, those aged 45 years and above can still avail of the facility of on-site registration to get vaccinated.

·        From May 1, the present system of private COVID-19 vaccination centres receiving doses from the government and charging up to Rs 250 per dose from people will cease to exist and private hospitals will procure directly from vaccine manufacturers.

Purpose:

·        Beneficiaries in 18 to 45 years age group is the superspreader of the infection in the country. This group accounts for 51 per cent recent surge in coronavirus cases.

·        Vaccine protects people from Covid-19 infection and helps build herd immunity. There is no shortage of vaccines. There is a huge scope of augmenting the inoculation capacity through involvement of the private sector.

·        It is disturbing fact that ailments, viruses and disasters don’t differentiate on age, caste, creed, being rich or poor. All are vulnerable. Hence, to ensure safety of persons belonging to every age group, this measure has been taken by the government.

·        This will also prevent the wastage of jabs. Moreover, senior citizens go out of their houses occasionally. So, the main carriers of the Covid infection are the people who go out for work. If these young people get vaccinated, the chain of virus transmission might break resulting in fewer Covid cases.

Challenge:

·        People of all age groups should be allowed to get vaccinated,Many are hesitant about getting jabbed, but some real issues are not addressed by hospitals and media.

·        Doctors themselves are not sure whether persons like with drug allergy should take the shot against Covid or not. Nobody or no forum is there to address the issue.

Conclusion:

·        If vaccination is not opened for all age groups Covid pandemic will aggravate and soon the situation will be out of control.

·        The more beneficiaries are vaccinated, the better it will be for herd immunity.

Polity & Governance

SC paves way for ad-hoc judges in HCs

The News:

·         The Supreme Court cleared the way for appointment of retired judges as ad-hoc judges in High Courts under Article 224A of the Constitution.

·         The court ruled that the Chief Justice of a High Court may initiate the process of recommending a name if the number of judges’ vacancies is more than 20 per cent of the sanctioned strength.

·         The court said the appointments can follow the procedure laid down in the Memorandum of Procedure for appointment of judges.

·         The move will help to deal with mounting backlog of cases.

·         Since the nominees have been judges before, the need to refer the matter to the IB or other agencies would not arise, shortening the time period.

About Article 224A

·         It allows the Chief Justice of a High Court to allow a retired judge of any High Court to sit and act as the judge of the High Court for that State.

·         Previous consent of the President is necessary.

·         The acting retired judge would be entitled to such allowances as the President may by order determine and have all the jurisdiction, powers and privileges of, but shall not otherwise be deemed to be, a Judge of that High Court.

·         This Article was not part of the Constitution of India, 1950. It was inserted by the Constitution (Fifteenth Amendment) Act, 1963.