Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 26 May 2017

:: National ::

Till now no request from parties to participate in EVM Hackathon

The Election Commission turned down the AAP's demand to allow tampering with the motherboard of the electronic voting machine (EVM) while participating in a challenge to hack the machine beginning June 3.
EC said: “It must be clearly understood that it is possible for anyone to make any electronic gadget which looks like ECI-EVM and demonstrate any magic or tampering.”
The EC has so far not received any application for participation in the challenge. Parties can confirm participation by 5 p.m. on Friday.
The EC letter said that such so-called “demonstration” on extraneous and duplicate gadgets, which were not owned by the commission, could not be misused and exploited to mislead and influence our intelligent citizens.
On demand for allowing tampering of the EVM motherboard of EVM during the challenge, the EC said allowing any such change was like saying that anyone should be permitted to manufacture a new machine and introduce new EVMs in the ECI system, which was implausible and irrational.

NHRC takes notice of honouring of Major

NHRC and the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) will hear two separate petitions on the Army’s move to award a Major who faces charges of using a civilian as a human shield in central Kashmir on April 9.
Senior Congress leader approached the NHRC on May 24 “to seek an explanation on what action the Commission had taken on his complaint against the Army officer’s gross violation of human rights.”
A separate petition, filed by Ahsan Untoo, chairman, International Forum for Justice and Human Rights, questions the Army move to award the officer.
On April 9, the Major tied the civilian to the front of an Army vehicle to rescue trapped security forces from a polling booth. The Army has defended the Major’s move despite a Court of Inquiry against him.
Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik have called for “a peaceful protest after Friday prayers” over the issue.

NPPA capped the prices of 31 more drugs

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) capped the prices of 31 more drugs.
The notification brings under price control intrauterine devices used for birth control; Factor VIII, a life-saving medicine for haemophilic patients; morphine, a pain killer; and rifampcin, a powerful antibiotic used to treat infections such as tuberculosis and leprosy.
With these 31 drugs, the NPPA has brought 791 medicines under price control. There are 829 drugs on the National List of Essential Medicines, 2015, all of which will be brought under price control.
The NPPA notification says, “In case the retail price of any of the aforesaid formulations is not complied with, as per instant price notification, the manufacturer/company concerned shall be liable to deposit the overcharged amount along with the interest thereon under the provisions of the DPCO, 2013.”
In December 2015, the government had updated the NLEM list.

Pakistan's claim rejected by United Nations

The United Nations has dismissed the Pakistan Army’s claim that its military observers came under attack from Indian troops near the Line of Control, saying there was “no evidence” of them being targeted.
U.N. Secretary General's spokesperson said there was no evidence that an UNMOGIP (United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan) vehicle was targeted by the Indian Army along the LoC near the Khanjar sector.
There is no evidence that the UNMOGIP military observers were targeted by the gunfire. No U.N. military observer was injured,” Ms. Dujarric told reporters.
In a statement, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, had said that a vehicle carrying two officers of the U.N. military observer group came under attack by Indian troops during a visit to the LoC.
The Pakistan Army had claimed the vehicle was carrying UNMOGIP officers Major Emmanual of the Philippines and Major Mirko of Croatia.

::International::

Strains in U.S.-U.K. relations after manchester attack

That U.S.-U.K. special relationship is to face its first major challenge, as British Prime Minister is set to confront US President over the leaking of sensitive information from U.S. sources on the devastating attack on Manchester.
The first leak came after an unnamed U.S. source told American broadcaster CBS the name of the Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi, despite earlier appeals by police in the U.K. to local media to not publish details on the person.
Home Secretary described the move as “irritating” and said they had now been “very clear” with U.S. officials that no more leaks of sensitive information should take place.
However, the leak of detailed photographs from the bomb scene from British forensic investigations to The New York Times has shifted the situation dramatically, with the anger palpable within Britain’s security and intelligence services.
Police in Greater Manchester have taken the decision to stop sharing intelligence with U.S. authorities on a temporary basis and only relating to this investigation.
Ms. May has said she would “make clear” to the U.S. President the need to keep intelligence secure, at the NATO summit in Brussels, while Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has raised the issue with the U.S. Ambassador to the U.K.
While Britain has arrangements to share intelligence with a number of countries across the world, the U.S. has undoubtedly been its closest partner on this. Information sharing has also caused tensions in the past.
These include the leak of details on the July 2005 bombings in central London, which killed 52 people, and the decision by U.S. authorities to act on intelligence from Britain on a plot to blow up airliners in 2006, sooner than the British had hoped for.

Sharp fall in U.K. net migration after Brexit

Net migration into Britain fell to 248,000 in 2016, led by a significant rise in the number of EU citizens leaving the U.K. and a fall in the international students arriving.
While the fall will be welcomed by some, including the Conservative party, which in its manifesto maintains a commitment to lowering net migration to the tens of thousands, it will raise concerns among others about potential skill shortages in the U.K.
Figures showed a statistically significant fall in net migration by 84,000 compared to 2015, driven by the number of EU citizens leaving Britain more than tripling.
The figures are considered significant, highlighting the impact that last June’s referendum on leaving the EU is having on citizens of other European countries residing in Britain.
There was also a significant decrease in long-term immigration to study, which fell by 32,000 from 2015 to 136,000. This was also driven by a decrease in students from Asia, whose numbers fell to 64,000 from 80,000 in 2015.
The issue of immigration has emerged as a particularly emotive issue in Britain’s election campaigning.
While the Conservatives have pledged to control and reduce immigration because high levels made it “difficult to build a cohesive society”, the Labour Party has promised “fair rules and reasonable management of migration”.

:: Business and Economy ::

On-board Wi-Fi may soon become a reality

On-board Wi-Fi may soon become a reality as the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has sent a revised proposal that will enable in-flight access to voice, data and video services.
Home Ministry had raised concerns about security agencies being able to monitor data and voice transmission in the initial proposal floated by DoT under the Communication Ministry.
However, the revised proposal has addressed the issue of flight data monitoring, the official, who did not wish to be identified, said.
The Centre will need to amend the Telegraph Act, 1885, as well as the related Indian Telegraphy Rules to provide on-board Wi-Fi services.
At present, both domestic and international passengers are unable to use in-flight Internet services over Indian airspace.
Even international airlines that offer such a facility to its passengers have to discontinue the service while the aircraft is flying over the Indian airspace.
A large number of countries, including Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, permit the use of Internet on flights, it added.
Domestic carriers, such as Jet Airways and Vistara, offer pre-loaded in-flight entertainment content to passengers on some flights.
Air India also plans to give passengers access to on-board movies, games and music on laptops or smartphones by connecting to on-board Wi-Fi service. Live Internet streaming is not possible on flights under the present law.

Rollout of GST will get gold out of the shadows of black money

The rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on July 1 will get gold out of the shadows of black money and establish traceability, Somasundaram P. R., managing director, India World Gold Council said.
There was a lack of clarity on the rate and on certain operational issues and the transition would be a time-consuming affair, he said.
Mr. Somasundaram felt that there were major gains to be reaped from the rollout of reform measures like GST.
“This is the best way to make gold buying transparent,” he said. However, GST rollout should ideally be accompanied by enforcement of hallmarking to ensure purity. “Or else there will be a gap.”
Certain inadequacies existed with respect to hallmarking facilities, Mr. Somasundaram said. This was in respect of the number of assaying centres as well as gaps in standardisation.
As per a WGC report on the evolution and innovation of India’s gold market, income levels were the most significant long-term determinants of consumer gold demand.
The report pegged India’s gold stocks at around 23,000 tonnes. It said that South accounted for 40% of the gold demand, followed by West with 25 %, North 20% and East 15%. Imports account for 85 % of the supply.
The number of jewellers has been estimated between 3.85 and 4.1 lakh of whom 70% were unorganised.
However, the market share of organised player has increased from 5 to 30 % , in the five years since 2000, and is projected to rise to 40% by 2020, according to the report.

Sensex reached new highs

Benchmark equity indices touched new highs on the back of a global rally after it emerged that the Federal Reserve would increase interest rates only after the U.S. economy showed strong signs of a recovery.
The 30-share Sensex gained 448.39 points, or 1.48%, to close at 30,750.03 on Thursday. The surge was across sectors as a total of 1,862 stocks gained on the BSE, as against only 827 declines. Most sectoral indices also ended with gains.
The broader Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed at 9,509.75, up 1.59% or 149.20. Short covering ahead of the expiry of the derivative contracts also acted as a catalyst for the rally.
Among the leading Asian indices, Nikkei, Hang Seng and Kospi posted advances. The top gainers included L&T, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, SBI, Wipro, Maruti Suzuki India and TCS.
Incidentally, banking stocks have been in the limelight ever since the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India have been focussing on addressing the bad debt issue in the sector.
The market is getting support from renewed buying by foreign investors as well with the current month’s flows pegged at Rs. 8,218 crore, after April saw tepid flows at Rs. 2,394 crore.

Centre has amended the definition of a start-up

The Centre has amended the definition of a start-up by broadening the term to include scalability of business model with a potential for employment generation or wealth creation, according to an official statement.
A Letter of Recommendation from an incubator/industry body for recognition or tax benefits has been done away with and an entity shall be deemed as a start-up up to seven years from the date of its incorporation.
For the biotechnology sector, the period is up to 10 years.