Current affairs- April 2, 2016
Create your own blood bank account
Indian Red Cross Society has launched a unique mobile
app using which one can create their own personal blood bank account.
How this account can be utilized?
With this a person can deposit blood (by donating) and withdraw it
as and when required, and can even transfer blood to a friend’s account.
Key facts:
- The app is based on the ‘banking’ concept. It is part of a larger digital blood banking initiative that the Indian Red Cross Society has rolled out along with J. Walter Thompson India.
- To be initially launched in Bengaluru, it will be extended across the country in phases.
- The app has been designed to encourage blood donations and ensure availability. The app would enable people to deposit their blood on a regular basis. Users can open a Blood Bank Account at any Red Cross-affiliated Blood Bank.
- The account can be created through the app and a unique account number will be assigned to each individual. The app will record the required information, track the account and provide timely reminders on when the next savings (blood donation) is due. And most importantly, users can make ‘Blood Transfers’ to their near and dear ones at the click of a button.
- It will also allow blood bank account holders to keep track of the blood deposit cycle on the digital platform.
Why such an app was necessary?
In order to maintain stock, blood banks depend heavily on
replacement donors. Even if a person finds the right group in a bank, the blood
is usually made available only with the replacement. The app is meant to avoid
all these hassles.
NITI Aayog finalises Model Act for farm land lease
An expert panel appointed by NITI Aayog has submitted its
recommendations to create a model law to formalise leasing of agricultural land.
What necessitated this?
Due to lack of any legal framework for leasing, the informal
tenants of agricultural land have, in many parts of the country, been deprived
access to institutional credit, disaster relief, and other support services.
- The situation, where beneficiaries of agricultural support services have been the land-owners and not the actual tillers, has fuelled problems of farmer suicides, default on agricultural loans among others.
- Also, agricultural land leasing has hitherto been informal due to legal restrictions imposed by some states, and these restrictions have affected agricultural productivity growth.
What’s there in the proposed model law?
- One of the key objectives of the model law is to facilitate insurance, disaster relief, and bank credit to the tenant without mortgaging of the leased land. Since the draft model law moots clear ownership of land with the lessor, itdisallows using the asset for mortgage purposes.
- The Act is meant for States that plan to legalise farm land leasing. State governments are expected to improvise it to suit the local socio-political requirements.
- Land ownership will remain secure and will revert to the owner and in case the parcel of land is sold before the tenure of the lease is complete, the rights of the tenants will be secure. No changes will be made in the land records.
- Attestation of the lease is proposed to be done at the level of the sarpanch, local bank official or notary.
- The Model Act also proposes that farmers and farmer groups be allowed to lease out land. The definition of ‘farm land’ is proposed to be broadened to include food processing.
- The Model Act proposes quicker litigation process in case of disputes, by suggesting recourse through criminal proceedings and special tribunal. It is expected that the dispute settlement will be taken up at the level of the Gram Sabha, Panchayat and Tehsildar.
- At present, only land owners can avail of crop insurance schemes or loans. Also, disaster relief in case of drought and crop damage is provided only to the owners and not cultivators. The Model Act will enable share croppers to receive such benefits and relief. Lessee cultivators could raise crop loans on the basis of expected produce.
- The proposed model law, however, does not restrict the owner of the land from selling the asset even during the lease period, as long as the cultivation rights of the tenant are not affected.
Background:
To review the existing agricultural tenancy laws of various states
and prepare a model agricultural land leasing act, the NITI Aayog, in September 2015, had set up an Expert Committee on Land
Leasing headed by T Haque. Prior to submitting its report to the NITI Aayog,
the committee held several rounds of discussion with states, farmer
organisations and civil society groups.
SBI wants banks to hold government’s cash balance
In view of the liquidity crunch that banks have been facing for
the last few months, the State Bank of India (SBI) – the country’s largest
lender – has demanded that the government’s cash balances to be kept with the
lenders (Banks) and not with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Why?
Currently, the issue of high volatility in currency holdings of
public (both in the form of cash and jewellery) as well as Government’s cash
balances with RBI is leading to volatility in system liquidity.
- If cash balances are placed with public sector banks, instead of with RBI, the cash remains within the banking system and does not create unnecessary volatility in money markets.
- Besides, such an action will provide a clear picture of the money available within the system which will not get distorted by government borrowing.
- Also, if government keeps its cash with banks, it can even earn interest which the banks will offer. RBI offers no interest to the government for keeping its cash.
Background:
With government curtailing its spending towards the end of the
last financial year, its cash balances with RBI had gone up. Bankers estimate
the liquidity deficit in the system in March 2016 was over Rs. two lakh crore,
mainly on account of lack of government spending, and the deficit was higher
than the comfort level of RBI which is around Rs.75,000 crore.
Obama and President Xi of China Vow to Sign Paris Climate Accord
President Obama and President Xi Jinping of China have decided to
sign the Paris
Agreement on climate change on April 22
(Earth Day), the first day the United Nations accord will be open for
government signatures.
- The two world leaders made the announcement on the sidelines of a nuclear security meeting in Washington.
- Combined, the United States and China account for about 40% of global emissions.
Coterminous LS, State polls not feasible: Quraishi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s advocacy of making Lok Sabha and
State Assembly polls coterminous has set off a debate on whether, in fact, this
move is at all feasible or practically implementable.
Why this is needed?
It is necessary due the administrative issues arising out of frequent and successive elections in various
states. Also, the way the electoral calendar of the country is set up, there
are polls every year in some part of the country or the other. With the Model
Code of Conduct coming into force in one State or the other and even for the
Centre in some cases, this leads to administrative lethargy, and issues.
More heatwaves likely this summer
Meteorologists have said that an average rise of 1 degree Celsius
in summer temperatures over most of India would mean more days of extreme heat
as well as a higher likelihood of heat waves compared to last year.
What is a heatwave?
The Indian Meteorology Department (IMD) defines a heatwave as an
excess of five to six degrees C over the maximum daily temperature (over a
30-year period) of less than 40 degree C or an excess of four to five degree C
over a normal historical maximum temperature of over 40 degree C.
- The IMD declares a heat wave when the actual maximum temperature is above 45 degree C.
SC can’t be bypassed on inter-State disputes: Haryana
The Haryana government has invoked judicial precedents in the
Cauvery river water sharing dispute case involving Tamil Nadu, Kerala and
Karnataka to submit in the Supreme Court that no State Assembly can pass a law to
negate the apex court’s constitutional powers to adjudicate and decide
inter-State disputes.
- This has been stated by Haryana during a hearing of the Presidential Reference on the validity of the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act of 2004 — which has jeopardised the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal project.
- The Haryana government argues that a law passed by the State legislature to circumvent or render infructuous a Supreme Court verdict is a clear encroachment by the lawmakers into the judiciary’s terrain.
Government Launches Intellectual Property Information Portal
The government has launched a portal which will act as a single
window interface for information on intellectual property and provide guidance
on leveraging it for competitive advantage.
About the Portal:
The Indian IP Panorama is a customised version of IP Panorama
Multimedia toolkit, developed by World Intellectual Property
Organisation, Korean Intellectual Property Office and Korea Invention Promotion
Association.
- The Indian IP Panorama has been developed under the aegis of Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) and DIPP, Government of India by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), in close coordination with the Indian IP office.
- The portal seeks to increase awareness and build sensitivity towards IP, among stakeholders in the SME sector, academia and researchers.
- The toolkit has been adapted to cater to SMEs and startups, especially in the ICTE sector of India, based on an agreement signed between WIPO and DeitY.
- The Indian IP Panorama is in accordance with Indian IP laws, standards, challenges and needs of the Indian ICTE sector.
- The five modules of the Indian IP Panorama include importance of IP for SMEs, Trademark, Industrial design and Invention and Patent.
About WIPO:
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is one of the
17 specialized agencies of the United Nations.
- It was created in 1967 “to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world.”
- It has currently 188 member states, administers 26 international treaties, and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
- Non-members are the states of Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, South Sudan and Timor-Leste. Palestine has observer status.
- India is a member of WIPO and party to several treaties administered by WIPO.
