Archives
(PRELIMS & MAINS Focus)
HOUSE RULES GOVERNING THE EXPUNCTION POWERS OF RAJYA SABHA CHAIRMAN, LOK SABHA SPEAKER
Syllabus
Prelims & Mains – Polity
Context: The first special session of the 18th Lok Sabha witnessed heated discussions, with the Opposition clashing with the government. Rajya Sabha Chairman removed significant portions of Mallikarjun Kharge’s speech, Meanwhile, in the Lower House, parts of Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the PM and the BJP were expunged from the records on the orders of Speaker.
Background:-
The practice of expunging remarks is a standard parliamentary procedure, but the ‘selective expunction’ by the presiding officers has become a flashpoint between the Opposition and the Centre.
When are remarks expunged from parliamentary records?
Parliament maintains a verbatim record of everything that is spoken and takes place during proceedings.
While Article 105 of the Constitution confers certain privileges and freedom of speech in Parliament on MPs, it is subject to other provisions of the Constitution and the rules of the House.
On the orders of the presiding officer, that is, the Chairman in the Upper House and the Speaker in the Lower House, words, phrases and expressions which are deemed “defamatory, indecent, unparliamentary or undignified” are deleted or expunged from records.
There have been recorded instances where the scope of expunction has been broadened. The Speaker, at their discretion, has ordered the expunction of words deemed prejudicial to national interest or detrimental to maintaining friendly relations with a foreign State, derogatory to dignitaries, likely to offend national sentiments or affect the religious susceptibilities of a section of the community, likely to discredit the Army, and not in good taste or otherwise objectionable or likely to bring the House into ridicule or lower the dignity of the Chair, the House or the members.
Members must withdraw objectionable remarks deemed irrelevant to the debate upon the Chair’s request and failure to comply may lead to expunction.
Similarly, quoting from an unreferenced document or speaking after being asked to desist can result in an expunction.
Continuous interruptions during speeches may also be expunged at the Speaker’s discretion.
How do presiding officers expunge remarks? What do the rules say?
The Chairman and Speaker are vested with the power to order the expunction of remarks under Rule 261, and Rule 380 and 381 of the Rules of Procedure of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, respectively.
Rule 261 states, “If the Chairman is of opinion that a word or words have or have been used in debate which is or are defamatory or indecent or unparliamentary or undignified, he may in his discretion, order that such word or words be expunged from the proceedings of the Council.
The Lower House has a similar provision. Rule 380 says, “If the Speaker is of the opinion that words have been used in debate which are defamatory or indecent or unparliamentary or undignified, the Speaker may, while exercising discretion, order that such words be expunged from the proceedings of the House.”
The expunged portions are marked by asterisks with an explanatory footnote stating ‘expunged as ordered by the Chair.’ If the Chair directs that nothing will go on record during a member’s speech or interruption, footnote ‘not recorded’ is inserted.
A comprehensive list of words and phrases is circulated to media outlets at the end of the day’s proceedings. Once expunged, these words or phrases cease to exist on the official record. Anyone who publishes them thereafter is liable to face charges for breach of privilege of the House.
However, the relevance of the practice of expunging remarks has lately come into question, in a digital age where expunged content remains accessible due to the live telecast of proceedings and wider circulation of screenshots and videos on social media.
Source: Hindu
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND : A CRITICAL VIEW
Syllabus
Mains – GS 2
Context: Mass protests in Kenya, in which at least 30 people were shot and killed by police, against an IMF-backed finance Bill that sought to raise taxes on essentials bring into focus, once again, the conditions the multinational lender imposes on poor countries in return for loan assistance.
Background:
The IMF describes itself as being governed by and accountable to its member countries. But its history and management structure tell a different story — of an organisation that has served as a tool of western elitist policy.
About the Kenyan crisis
In 2021, Kenya signed a four-year loan agreement with the IMF for $2.34 billion, and with another deal signed in May 2023, its loan volume rose to $3.6 billion. But IMF money for developing countries comes in tranches, and with conditions.
IMF periodically reviews the country’s progress in implementing its conditions, and only if it is convinced the country is on track, does it release the next tranche of funds.
As part of the 2021 loan deal, the IMF forced a COVID-battered Kenya to agree to austerity measures that would raise its revenue collection to 25% of GDP.
The lender’s demands included a combination of tax hikes and budget cuts, including elimination of subsidies on fuel and electricity and cuts in spending on education and health.
Government cut subsidies on maize and fuel, with the latter sparking a surge in inflation. Massive protests ensued. Nonetheless, government stayed the course on other fiscal consolidation measures, and earlier this month, government reached a staff level agreement with the IMF. It was expected to open the tap on another $976 million, provided the finance Bill — projected to raise revenues of $2.68 billion — went through. But protest has forced Kenyan president to abandon it, and now the future flow of IMF funds is in doubt.
None of this, however, is new. Kenya has been through this before, as have much of Africa, whose governments often find themselves caught between the interests of their people and that of private investors and Western commercial banks, fronted by the IMF.
In 1944, when the IMF was created at a conference of 44 nations in Bretton Woods, U.S., the global supremacy of American economic might was already a reality, with the rest of the world either devastated by the World War II or by colonial plunder, or both. This power dynamic got encoded into both the Bretton Woods twins — the IMF and the World Bank. For instance, the World Bank president is always an American citizen, while the IMF head is always from a European ally of the U.S.
Unwritten mandate
In theory, their function is to aid economic development and promote monetary cooperation and stability. But in practice, they have followed an unwritten mandate to foster the integration of former colonies into a global economic order on terms designed to serve American capital.
Voting rights at the IMF don’t follow the democratic logic of one-member country-one vote but are quota-driven, based on dollar contributions. The U.S. alone has a voting share of 16.5%, while the wealthy G-7 countries together command more than 40% of the voting power.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres flagged bias in the IMF framework when he said that the Bretton Woods system reflected the power relations of 1945. He also underscored how the IMF favoured the rich in the context of its distribution of Special Drawing Rights (a reserve asset), observing, “The IMF allocated $650 billion in SDRs during the pandemic. The G7 countries, with a population of 772 million people, received $280 billion. The African continent, with $1.3 billion people, received only $34 billion.”
This unfairness, and the unequal relationship with the IMF, is partly why so many developing countries, from Kenya to Ghana, Zambia and Pakistan, have witnessed protests against the IMF and IMF-imposed economic policies — the infamous ‘Structural Adjustment Programs’ (SAPs).
SAPs, adopted by the IMF from 1986 onwards, typically require governments to cut public spending (including on food subsidies, health and education), privatise state enterprises, reduce import duties and tariffs, and implement other measures so that the country pursues export-led growth.
Impact of SAPs
A 2002 World Bank-funded study by the Structural Adjustment Participatory Review International Network (SAPRIN) tracked the impact of the IMF’s SAPs.
Its report highlighted four ways in which they furthered “impoverishment and marginalisation of local populations”:
one, by causing the demise of domestic manufacturing sectors and loss of employment for small producers;
two, agricultural, trade and mining reforms decimated small farms and poor rural communities;
three, they triggered job losses, lower wages and degraded terms of employment due to privatisation, budget cuts and labour market flexibilisation measures;
four, the reduced role of state in providing guaranteed access to essential services led to increase in poverty.
Yet, the IMF, as the international lender of last resort, continues to impose SAP-like requirements.The erstwhile ‘SAP’ conditionalities have now morphed into generic austerity measures.
Faced with a backlash , the IMF did introduce ‘social spending floors’ to protect public spending on education, health and social protection from being cut as part of its loan conditionalities. But an Oxfam analysis of 27 loan programmes negotiated with low- and middle-income countries found that “for every $1 the IMF encouraged governments to spend on public services, it has told them to cut six times more than that through austerity measures.”
Source: Hindu
NATIONAL MEDICAL COMMISSION
Syllabus
Prelims – CURRENT EVENT
Context: Dr. B.N. Gangadhar appointed as Chairperson of the National Medical Commission.
Background:
The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed various individuals to posts of the NMC and the autonomous boards. The appointments are for a period of four years until the appointee attains the age of 70 years or until further orders, whichever is earliest, the health ministry said.
About National Medical Commission
The National Medical Commission Act of 2019 establishes the National Medical Commission (NMC), which is responsible for the creation and regulation of all elements of medical education, practice, and institutions.
There are four boards in the National Medical Commission
Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB)- sets norms for undergraduate courses
Post-Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB)- sets norms for post-graduate courses
Medical Assessment and Rating Board– inspects and rates the medical education institutes
Ethics and Medical Registration Board– regulates professional conduct of the doctors and registers them
FUNCTIONS OF NATIONAL MEDICAL COMMISSION
lay down policies for maintaining a high quality and high standards in medical education and make necessary regulations in this behalf;
lay down policies for regulating medical institutions, medical researches and medical professionals and make necessary regulations in this behalf;
assess the requirements in healthcare, including human resources for health and healthcare infrastructure and develop a road map for meeting such requirements;
promote, co-ordinate and frame guidelines and lay down policies by making necessary regulations for the proper functioning of the Commission, the Autonomous Boards and the State Medical Councils;
ensure co-ordination among the Autonomous Boards;
take such measures, as may be necessary, to ensure compliance by the State Medical Councils of the guidelines framed and regulations made under this Act for their effective functioning under this Act;
exercise appellate jurisdiction with respect to the decisions of the Autonomous Boards;
lay down policies and codes to ensure observance of professional ethics in medical profession and to promote ethical conduct during the provision of care by medical practitioners;
frame guidelines for determination of fees and all other charges in respect of fifty per cent. of seats in private medical institutions and deemed to be universities which are governed under the provisions of this Act;
exercise such other powers and perform such other functions as may be prescribed.
Source:Money Control
MUDUMALAI TIGER RESERVE (MTR)
Syllabus
Prelims – ENVIRONMENT
Context: For the first time, a large-scale migration of Common Grass Yellow was observed during the three-day butterfly survey which concluded at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) recently.
Background:
Other highlights of the survey include the Malabar Raven, Paris Peacock, Malabar Banded Peacock, Plain Puffin, Chocolate Albatross, Tamil Yeoman (the state butterfly) and Tamil Lacewing.
About Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR)
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) is located in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu, spread over 321 sq. km. at the tri-junction of three states, viz, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
It lies on the Northeastern and Northwestern slopes of Nilgiri hills which is a part of the Western Ghats.
It is part of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, the first Biosphere Reserve in India.
It has a common boundary with Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) on the West, Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) on the North, the Nilgiris North Division on the South and East, and Gudalur Forest Division on the South West.
Ecological Significance:
The reserve encompasses diverse ecosystems, including montane forests, grasslands, wetlands, and Shola forests unique to the Western Ghats.
It is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, including the Indian rock python and the mugger crocodile.
Source: PIB
KAVERI RIVER
Syllabus
Prelims – GEOGRAPHY
Context: The Karnataka state government has established a nine-member committee to address the contamination of the Kaveri River.
Background:
This decision came after MLC Dinesh Gooligowda raised concerns about sewage, solid waste, industrial pollutants, and other contaminants negatively impacting marine life and public health in the river. The committee of experts will examine methods to halt environmental degradation caused by various pollutants, including industrial waste and sewage.
About KAVERI RIVER :
The Kaveri River, also known as Cauvery, is a significant river in India, flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Origin:
The Kaveri River rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range of the Western Ghats, located in Kodagu district, Karnataka.
The Shivanasamudra Falls Hogenakkal Falls, Chunchanakatte Falls are some of the waterfalls situated along the Kaveri River.
Course:
The river flows for approximately 800 kilometers before reaching its outfall into the Bay of Bengal.
It reaches the sea near Poompuhar, in Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu.
Tributaries:
Left Bank: Harangi, Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavati, Sarabanga, Thirumanimutharu.
Right Bank: Lakshmana Tirtha, Kabini, Bhavani, Noyyal, Amaravati, Moyar.
Catchment Area:
The Kaveri basin covers three states and a Union Territory:
Tamil Nadu: 43,868 square kilometers.
Karnataka: 34,273 square kilometers.
Kerala: 2,866 square kilometers.
Puducherry: 148 square kilometers
Dams and Reservoirs:
Several dams and reservoirs manage Kaveri’s flow, including the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam, Mettur Dam, and Kabini Dam.
These structures play a crucial role in water allocation and storage.
Source: Business Standard
HOLOGRAM TECHNOLOGY
Syllabus
Prelims – SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Context: Japan has introduced redesigned yen banknotes incorporating advanced 3D hologram technology to enhance security measures against counterfeiting.
Background:
These advancements demonstrate Japan’s commitment to staying ahead in the fight against counterfeit currency.
About HOLOGRAM TECHNOLOGY :
Holograms are three-dimensional (3D) images created by recording light patterns that mimic how our eyes perceive objects in space.
Unlike traditional photographs or flat images, holograms capture depth and parallax, making them appear lifelike and immersive.
Their intricate design makes them a robust defence against counterfeiting.
Applications:
Visual Displays: Holographic displays for advertising, art, and entertainment.
Data Storage: Holographic data storage for high-capacity storage.
Microscopy: Holographic microscopy for biological imaging.
Interferometry: Precise measurements in fields like metrology and engineering.
Medical Imaging: Holographic techniques in medical diagnostics.
Source: Hindu
Practice MCQs
Daily Practice MCQs
Q1.) With reference to the hologram technology, consider the following:
Advertising and entertainment
Data storage for high-capacity storage
Microscopy for biological imaging
Defence against counterfeiting
How many of the above are the application of the hologram technology?
Only one
Only two
Only thee
All four
Q2.) Consider the following statements about National Medical Commission
It is a statuary body established under the National Medical Commission Act of 2019
It is responsible for the creation and regulation of all elements of medical education, practice, and institutions.
Which of the statement (s) given above is/are correct?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 & 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Q3.) Consider the following rivers in India:
Lakshmana Tirtha
Kabini
Bhavani
Arkavati
How many of the above-mentioned rivers are the left bank tributaries of the Kaveri River?
Only one
Only two
Only three
All four
Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!
ANSWERS FOR ’ 6th July 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st
ANSWERS FOR 5th July – Daily Practice MCQs
Answers- Daily Practice MCQs
Q.1) – c
Q.2) – b
Q.3) – c