The Hindu – 4 Aug
Govt imposes curbs on import of laptops , tablets .
The Union govt on Thursday restricted all imports of laptops , tablets , and all in one small factor personal computers (PCs) , requiring license of these products to be brought to the country and sold to customers .
The move may impact short term laptop assembly that rely on assembly abroad , such as Dell , HP , Lenovo , and Apple .The move will boost domestic sector in this market .
During FY22 and FY 24 , India imported 9446 millions dollar worth of laptop from China , Hong Kong was a distant second with 1442 million dollar . Singapore 1318 million dollar and Taiwan 229 million dollar were third and forth respectively .
Over nine lakh trees likely to be axed for Great Nicobar Project
The center’s ambitious ₹72000 crore Great Nicobar Project may see 9.64 lakh trees felled to enable construction of port and other infrastructure .Minister of state ( environment) Ashwani Choubey told in Rajya Sabha .
The Great Nicobar Project :– The project marked as a strategically important by ministry of Home affairs , will use 130 square kilometers of pristine land of Great Nicobar .A advanced port , an international airport , a township , and a 450 MVA has and solarbased power plant on Great Nicobar Island . It was cleared by Ministry of Environment . But was challenged in National Green Tribunal (NGT) which set up an expert committee to look into it .
The great Nicobar is evergreen tropical forest with 650 species of flora and 330 species of fauna . The trees being chopped will be compensated by afforestation in Haryana .
Great nicobar Southern among Andman and Nicobar islands
‘ save the children ‘ loses its FCRA permit .
The ministry of Home Affairs has with the permit under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act ( FCRA ) .
Save the Children is an UK based NGO . It works in 116 countries and in 16 states of India .It’s Indian branch is named “Bal Raksha Bharat ” .It’s work focusses on health , education and hunger and vulnerable children in conflict .
It had come under govt’s radar during a fundraising campaign on malnutrition , which was objected to by the Ministry of Women and Child Development on the ground that issue was being. ” vigorously pursued ” by the govt through the schemes .
The non renewal of our FCRA application has come as surprise to us . We will work with the govt and are helpful of resolving the situation at the earliest , said a spokesperson of Bal Raksha Bharat .
Gyanvapi Panel moves SC after HC orders ASI Survey
The Mosque committee that manages Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi , on Thursday moved Supreme Court within hours after Allahabad High court of. Thursday gave permission to ASI to conduct ” investigation” of the premises . The case is registered for hearing on 4th August .
SC : Can you equate Article 370 with basic structure ?
The SC on Thursday asked whether Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir , is being equated with the basic structure of the constitution .
Advocate Kapil sibbal argued that there was no constitutional process available to revoke article 370 , and the provision had attained ” permanent character ” after 1957 when J& K Constituent assembly dissolved , leaving the article unchanged . He further argued ” The abrogation of Article 370 was purely a political act ” .
CJI questioned ” How can you say that the parliament could not have exercised it’s preliminary amending powers to abrogate Article 370 ? ” . Justice SK kaul questioned ” Will not that amount to equating Article 370 with the principle of Basic Structure of the constitution when you say that abrogation of Article 370 can never be done ? “
In Parliament :
Three bills passed in Rajya Sabha without opposition’s absence
The. Rajya Sabha passes three bills on Thursday with opposition members boycotting the proceedings over Manipur .
Offshore Areas Mineral ( Development and Regulation ) Amendment bill , the press and Registration of Periodicals Bill and the Advocates (Amendment ) bill on Thursday .
Tabling Offshore Mineral areas bill ,Coal and Mines Minister Prahalad Joshi said the auction of mining of coals were earlier marred by corruption ,govt has created a foolproof mechanism to auction minerals and metals .
The other two bill entails to repealing obsolete and pre-independence laws .
LS passes Delhi service bill amid walkout
With six sitting left center , opposition try to end standoff over Manipur debate
Till now BJP is ready for discussion over Manipur but opposition parties had been demanding PM to speak over Manipur in Parliament .
In a meeting with opposition party leaders Piyush Goyal , leader of opposition was told that opposition was ready to discuss Manipur under rule 267 .
Amid row data protection bill tabled
Earlier in KS puttaswamy case , SC had declared right to privacy as Fundamental Right under Article 21 ( Right to life and personal liberty ) .
Govt introduced digital data protection bill in Lok Sabha –
Main features of Digital Personal Data Protection Bill , 2023 :
● The law will require comapies to clearly mention to the users what data are being collected and for what they are being used for
● Entities failing to protect personal data may face penalty uptp ₹ 250 cr .
● Data Protection Board of India will be created
● User will get right to delete or modify their personal data provided to entities.
● It strikes down section 43A of IT rules 2000 that requires companies to compensate to users for mishandling data .
India summons German Envoy to press for German Envoy to press Ariha’s case :
The external l affairs ministry of Thursday said that it had summoned the German Ambassador over the child’s situation in foster care .
Earlier Ariha’s mother Dhara Shah met MPs from both houses on Thursday .
” a minimum, we believe this child’s cultural rights and rights as an Indian are being infringed upon by her being placed in German foster care,” Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told presspersons here, adding that the 2021 case was being accorded “high priority ” .
Ariha Shah case :
Ariha Shah parents were working in Germany when she was 7 months old , Ariha was given to foster care by German authorities . Ariha was declared abused by doctors when she was found having cit marks near her genital areas and marks of brutal injuries in other part of her bodies .
She was given to foster care . A case was registered against her parents . But parents were later acquitted . Ariha was 8 months old when in September 2021 she. Was taken by Foster care .
Courts in Germany still has told Ariha to be taken care by German Youth Services ( Jugendmant ) . Indian side demand is that Ariha be given to some foster care in India .
Pakistan approved signing of security pact with US
Pakistan Army has approved signing of new security pact CIS- MOA
CIS-MOA –Comminication. interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement
US signs CIS -MOA with those cluntries with which it wants to maintain close military and defence relationship .It provides cover to US defence to sell weapon and hardware to other countries .
The pact expired in 2020 , and after then the relationship between the two countries was not that sound .The agreement indicates that US might sell some military hardware to Pakistan in coming years .
Coup backers rally in Niger as security worries escalate .
Thousands of protesters rallied on Thursday in Niger capital Niamey in support of the coup that toppled democratically elected govt .
Demonstration that marked Niger’s independence in 1960 chanted anti France slogans and pro Russian and Pro Putin slogans . The crowd chanted ” Down to France ” , ” long live Russia “,” long live Putin ” . One of the protesters said ” We just dont want the French who has been looting us since 1960 – they have been there ever since and nothing has changed “.The Bazoum govt was highly dependent towards France , what is hated by many .
Democratically elected govt under President Bazoum was couped on July 26 .Mr Bazoum is under arrest . US president has called for immediate release of Bazoum .On Sunday West African regional bloc ECOWAS called for immediate release of Bazoum and put him back to power or face” last resort ” of military intervention .
Many countries have pulled of their embassy staff from Niger .Saudi , Kuwait rejects Iran claim to has field
The offshore oil field know as Arash in Iran and Dorra in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia , has long been in contention between the three countries . Many attempts to resolve it has been unsuccessful . On Sunday Iran may pursue with exploration even without any agreement . Kuwaiti and Saudi authorities on Thursday in a statement released said that they alone had right to explore in that are .
The Persian gulf area is largest producer of crude oil in world . With many oil producing countries such as Iran , Iraq , Saudi Arabia , Kuwait , UAE , Oman , Baharin having large number of oil and gas fields in the region .
ump to face a judge over poll fiasco charges .
On Tuesday Trump had been indicted in a case accusing him to overturn 2020 presidential election result . Justice department special counsel indicted Trump over four felony counts his efforts to undo presidential election loss , in the run up of 2020 elections , riot at Capitol hill , conspiracy to defraud the US and conspiracy to obstruct and official proceedings .
On Thursday , he will present to court .
Making a right :
The state must remain impartial in the situation of communal conflict :
About the editorial :
The editorial is about recent vilence in Nuh .It talks about the probable reasons and says that state should conduct an impartial investigation and bring perpetrators to justice .
Start and spread of violence :
Nuh area being a. hot bed of criminal activities in Haryana has been under radar regarding cow. smuggling for a long time .
In recent times police has cracked down heavily over criminal in the area . The area forms a. Large population of minority community members .
When a religious procession of Hindu community was going the mob of minority community started hurling stones and fired , most of the Hindu participating had to take shelter in nearby temple . Home guards lost his life.
In retaliatory move later , the Hindu side vandalised mosque and killed one of the imams. , Many in the area have the region situation is under control for time being .
Strike Three
The US is witnessing extreme level of political polarization of the electorate
About the editorial :
The editorial is about recent indictment of Donald Trump . It talks about the the situation that it can create in US further .
About indictment of Trump
Trump was indicted on four charges on Tuesday is conspiracy to defraud , witness tampering , conspiracy against the rights of citizens , and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding .
The obstruction charges relate to 6 January , 2021 event in which supporters of Trump incited by him marched to Capitol hill ( US Congres ) where election results was being approved . The mob injured at least 140 law enforcement officers and ruckus on wife scale created . Trump is indicted in two other cases one to play hish money to a model and other in keeping confidential documents with itself .
Future prospects :
Election is scheduled for 2024 , if Trump is proved guilty in any of these he may face jail . In America one can go for election from jail . And if Trump wins , then he will run country form jail . Govt is facing challenges on many fronts like economy , civil rights , foreign policy etc . There is risk that US exceptionalosm may become a thong of the past .
