Kaleshwaram project inaugurated

 

News Important for – General Studies – 3 I irrigation and Infrastructure  

 

Context

 

The government of Telangana inaugurated Kaleshwaram irrigation project.

 

 

 

 

• It is the World's largest multi-stage lift irrigation project.
• The project was completed by L&T
• The project is considered  as a boon to the southern state which will provide irrigation facility for two crops in a year to 45 lakh acres
• The other highlights of the project include the world's longest tunnel route of 203 kilometres. It is the only project in the world which can lift two TMC of water every day
• The irrigation project is proposed to divert 195 tmcft of water from Godavari to irrigate 45 lakh acres of farmland besides supplying water for drinking purposes and industrial needs.

 

Source Link:  

 

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/telangana-cm-chandrashekar-rao-inaugurates-kaleshwaram-project/article28096471.ece

 

Jumbo ‘yatra’ comes in for flak

 

News Important for – General Studies – 3 I Biodiversity  

 

Context

 

A public interest litigation petition has been filled in the Gauhati High Court challenging the Assam government’s decision to transport four juvenile elephants.

 

 

About

 

The public interest litigation petition was filed by NGO Avinava Prayash, under Article 226 of the Constitution giving High Courts power to issue certain writs.

 

Article 226, empowers the high courts to issue, to any person or authority, including the government (in appropriate cases), directions, orders or writs, including writs in the nature of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto, certiorari or any of them.

 

• Assam plans to send 4 juvenile elephants to Gujarat by train.

 

• The juvenile elephants include two females.

 

• The elephants in question are being transferred to Ahmedabad on a six-month lease.

 

• Another petition against the shifting of elephants was filed by Sangeeta Iyer, a Canada-based activist, before the High Court via email.

 

• The order for dispatching the elephants is being processed by the Conservator of Forests Assam.

 

Law and safeguards for wildlife in India

 

• The Indian elephant is a Schedule-I animal under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and Section 9 of the Act prohibits their capture from the wild.

 

• Capturing of wild elephants is permitted only under very limited circumstances as provided in Section 11 and 12 of the Act.

 

Concerns

 

• The incident has raised the issue of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 violation.
• The growth of big black marketing of elephants.
• The pain and cruelty caused to the elephant during journey

 

Source Link: 

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/jumbo-yatra-comes-in-for-flak/article28104675.ece

 

Forest cover up by 1%, says Javadekar 

 

News Important for – General Studies – 3 I Environment  

Context

According to government, India’s forest cover has increased by 1% in the last one year.

 

 

 

About

 

• India’s total forest cover increased by 0.94 per cent in the last two years, shows the State of Forest Report 2017

 

• According to a latest report, over 24.39% of the country’s geographical area now constitutes of green cover.

 

• Forests cover almost 275,000 square miles, or around 21.5 per cent of the country's total geographical area,

 

• As per Ministry for Environment over 125 crore trees would be planted along highways to increase green cover.

 

• A people's campaign #SelfiewithSapling was also organised on Environment Day eve, urging everyone to plant a sapling and to post the selfie with the sapling on social media.

 

• India has been trying to achieve to put 33 percent of its geographical area under forest

 

Source Link: 

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/forest-cover-up-by-1-javadekar/article28103074.ece

 

India likely to raise terror, financial crimes at G20 meet 

 

News Important for – General Studies – 2 I International Relations   

 

Context

 

The prime minister will attend the G20 summit held at Osaka.

 

 

 

About

 

• This year’s summit will be presided under Japanese president.

 

• The theme of the summit “Human centred future society”

 

• Japan has announced that he would push for a “Data Free Flow with Trust,” or DFFT system.

 

Important focus the summit

 

• Digital economy
• Artificial intelligence
• Global health
• Ageing and marine plastic waste as subjects of deliberation
• Global nature of data as opposed to its localisation

 

India’s Concerns

 

• India is likely to raise issues of terrorism, energy security and climate change financing, and call for stricter international laws on economic fugitives
• Open to negotiations on data localisation, e-commerce
• E-commerce and data localisation- Those issues are being debated and discussed at various forums within the country.

 

Source Link: 

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/india-likely-to-raise-terror-financial-crimes-at-g20/article28104708.ece

 

Amid protests, triple talaq Bill introduced 

 

News Important for – General Studies – 1 I Social Issue   

 

Context

 

The Union Government has introduced The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019.

 

 

 

 

 

About

 

• The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 is also known as the triple talaq Bill.

 

• The legislation was meant to ensure gender justice and equality.

 

• The Bill focuses on the “question of the dignity of women and we are committed to safeguarding.

 

• The government had promulgated the ordinance on triple ‘talaq’ twice in September 2018 and in February 2019.

 

• There were 543 cases of triple talaq reported in the country.

 

• Even the Supreme Court set aside the decades-old practice of instant triple talaq saying it was violative of Article 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution.

 

In 1984, a divorced Muslim woman named Shah Bano kicked up a storm when she approached the Supreme Court for maintenance from her former husband. The Supreme Court granted her the right, in a landmark verdict.

 

• The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 was introduced in Lok Sabha in 2018.  

 

• It replaces an Ordinance promulgated on September 19, 2018.

 

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill   The Bill makes all declaration of talaq, including in written or electronic form, to be void (i.e. not enforceable in law) and illegal. It defines talaq as talaq-e-biddat or any other similar form of talaq pronounced by a Muslim man resulting in instant and irrevocable divorce.   Talaq-e-biddat refers to the practice under Muslim personal laws where pronouncement of the word ‘talaq’ thrice in one sitting by a Muslim man to his wife results in an instant and irrevocable divorce.   Offence and penalty   The Bill makes declaration of talaq a cognizable offence, attracting up to three years’ imprisonment with a fine.   The Bill provides that the Magistrate may grant bail to the accused. The offence may be compounded by the Magistrate upon the request of the woman (against whom talaq has been declared). Compounding refers to the procedure where the two sides agree to stop legal proceedings, and settle the dispute.

 

Source Link:

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/amid-protests-triple-talaq-bill-introduced/article28104771.ece