DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS 21 DECEMBER
POLITY
G.N. Rao panel recommends ‘three capitals’ for State
G.N. Rao panel had given report to the government, which is a summary of the ‘capital functions’ on the basis of the present requirements of the State and gathered opinion of the people, elected representatives and other stakeholders during their visits to the districts.
Panel Recommendations:
- The Secretariat, the Chief Minister’s camp office, summer Assembly and a High Court (HC) Bench be set up in the Visakhapatnam metropolitan region.
- The State Legislature, a HC Bench and the Governor and Ministers’ quarters be set up in the ‘Amaravati-Mangalagiri complex’.
- The High court and allied courts be situated in Kurnool.
- This is in line with the government’s proposal of setting up legislative, executive and judicial capitals in Amaravati, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool respectively.
- The expert committee has stated that its recommendations have been made as per the terms of the Sribagh Pact.
- Setting up four commissionerates comprising Visakhapatnam-Srikakulam-Vizianagaram (north coastal), East Godavari-West Godavari-Krishna (central coastal), Guntur-Prakasam-Nellore (south coastal) and Anantapur-Chittoor-Kadapa-Kurnool (Rayalaseema) regions for the sake of administrative convenience on the lines of the pattern followed in Karnataka.
Working of Committee:
- Looked at the regional disparities to be removed.
- Importance of decentralised administration for achieving development of all the regions.
- About 35,000 representations were received.
About Sribagh Pact:
- Sribagh Pact is an agreement made between the political leaders of Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions during the “separate Andhra movement” in November 1937. The main aspect of the pact was that the Rayalseema region would be granted either the capital city or high court as a symbol of decentralization to overcome any doubts regarding the neglect of the region from the dominant coastal political leaders.
Whither Amaravati: on three capital cities for Andhra Pradesh
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh hinted that the South African model of three capitals was best suited in his State and that his government would work towards this.
South African model:
- The administrative capital is in Pretoria
- Its national legislature in Cape Town.
- Its judicial capital in Bloemfontein.
Andhra Pradesh Idea:
- A distribution of executive, legislative and judicial governance across Visakhapatnam, Amaravati (the current capital) and Kurnool.
- Allow for Decentralised development of the State.
- It follows the recommendations of the expert committee appointed by the Home Affairs Ministry in 2014 to study alternatives for a new capital.
- Committee had recommended to focus on distributing locations of governance beyond the Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali-Mangalagiri urban area, while utilising the time period of 10 years to continue functions from Hyderabad after bifurcation.
Challenges to idea:
- During development of Amravati as capital, farmers had given their lands, in land pooling scheme for residential and commercial plot. They are protesting against this idea.
- Considerable work has been completed in Amaravati to utilise the fledgling city as a functioning capital. It would become dysfunctional.
- Administratively the Legislature and the Secretariat should be in only one place.
SECURITY
Common documents enough to prove citizenship: Home Ministry
The Ministry of Home Affairs said guidelines for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) were yet to be drafted but Citizenship of India may be proved by giving any document relating to date of birth or place of birth or both.
- Indian citizens do not have to prove any ancestry by presenting documents such as identity card, birth certificate etc, of parents/grandparents dating back to pre-1971 situation.
- March 24, 1971 was the cut-off date for Assam’s NRC conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court as per the Assam Accord, 1985, and it is not related to countrywide citizens’ register.
- According to the Citizenship Act, anyone born on or after 26 January 1950, but before 1 July 1987 was an Indian citizen by birth. The people born after these years would inadvertently be naturalised citizens by 2019 and would be having some kind of document as a proof of their birth here.
- For illiterate citizens, who may not have any documents, the authorities may allow them to produce witnesses or local proofs supported by members of the community.
- No separate legislation was required to compile the NRC, as the provision existed under the Citizenship Act when it was amended in December 2004.
- The NRC was the next step of the NPR. After the NRC ended, citizens would be given unique cards.
- The State governments have no powers to reject the implementation of the CAA, the NPR or the NRC.
About Procedures in CAA:
- Each application received online under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) would be checked and enquired by officials, as the final decision to grant citizenship rested with the Centre.
- There would be no time restriction to apply under the CAA.
- The power to grant citizenship to district collectors has been delegated by the Centre.
- It can be vested back with Central authorities like the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).
Army to sign deal for six Apache attack helicopters
The deal for six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for the Indian Army, estimated to cost around $930 million, is likely to be signed early next year.
About Purchase of Apache Helicopter:
- In August 2017, the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by the then Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, approved the purchase of six Apache attack helicopters from the U.S. for the Army.
- The IAF has recently inducted the first batch of eight Apaches based in Pathankot. The Apaches are expected to replace the ageing Russian Mi-35 attack helicopters in service.
- Currently, the Army Aviation Corps operates only smaller Cheetah and ALH (Advance Light Helicopters) that weigh less than five tonnes.
- All the bigger helicopters, including the Mi-35s and fixed wing aircraft are operated by the IAF.
About Apache helicopter:
- Apache is the most advanced multi-role heavy attack helicopter in the world.
- Its modern capabilities include fire-and-forget, anti-tank missiles, air-to-air missiles, rockets, and other ammunition.
- Apaches has their ability to operate at much higher altitudes, unlike the aging Russian Mi-24/Mi-35 attack helicopters.
- It also has modern electronic warfare capabilities to provide versatility in network-centric aerial warfare.
A premature denouncement of the Citizenship Act
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was introduced in 2019 after long deliberation by the Joint Select Committee of Members of Parliament.
Ground Realities of the immigrants:
- The need for this Bill arose partly because the Islamic theocratic nations of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have brutally persecuted non-Muslim minorities since 1947.
- This has led to a sharp fall in the proportion of the non-Muslim minorities in the total population of these countries.
- No Muslims or Jews came to India over the last 70 years on grounds of religious persecution.
Political approach to provide citizenship:
- Congress Committee adopted a resolution on November 25, 1947 urging citizenship and “full protection to all those non-Muslims from Pakistan who have come over to India or may do so to save their life and honour”.
- Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked for granting citizenship to these minorities to be liberal.
Major Criticism of the act:
- It is ultra vires the Constitution of India, especially Articles 5 to 11 and Art. 14.
- It is divisive and violative of human rights because it discriminates against Muslims.
- Government aim is to establish a Hindu nation through CAA.
Counter arguments to these criticism:
- Articles 5 to 10 have nothing to do with the CAA. Article 11 in fact empowers Parliament to bring such an amendment as the CAA.
- For violation of article 14, Supreme Court has repeatedly made it clear that equality before law is only for those equally placed. Here on religious persecution, the Muslims of Pakistan etc. are not similarly placed.
- The Union Home Ministry, in the list prepared of this category of illegal migrants, did not discover a single persecuted Muslim from these three countries.
- There are five ways a foreigner can become a citizen of India under the Citizenship Act, 1955, namely, by birth, descent, registration, naturalisation and incorporation of territory.
- The CAA, 2019 adds a country-specific exception to the naturalisation section. However, any Muslim can become an Indian citizen under the naturalisation section.
- Present Indian Constitution cannot be amended beyond the Basic Structure of the Constitution as defined by the Supreme Court of India; hence, there is no concern of making Hindu Rastra.
ECONOMY
Import cover rises to 10 months: RBI
With foreign exchange reserves rising to $429.84 billion as at end of June 2019 from $412.47 billion as at end March 2019, the import cover rose to 10 months compared with 9.6 months, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a report.
About Import Cover:
- Import Cover measures the number of months of imports that can be covered with foreign exchange reserves available with the central bank of the country.
About Foreign Reserve:
- The Foreign reserves of India consists of the following four categories (in decreasing proportion):
- Foreign Currency Assets
- Gold
- Reserve Tranche Position
- Special Drawing Rights(SDRs)
- Reserve Bank of India Act and the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 set the legal provisions for governing the foreign exchange reserves. The reserves are managed by the Reserve Bank of India for the Indian government.
Reference: https://www.thehindu.com/business/import-cover-rises-to-10-months-rbi/article30361819.ece
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