This page contains "2Nd August 2018" current affairs analysis from different newspapers and magazines like The Hindu, Indian express, PIB and Yojna.
Quality and relevance are two key features considered while writing the content, all the topics are based on the pattern of previously asked questions in exams like UPSC CSE, IAS, State PCS, SSC, Banks PO and likewise competitive exams.
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989
Why in news ?
Section 18 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989, bars anticipatory bail for accused of causing cast eccentric injury and insult to Dalits. Supreme court had read down Section 18 to allow accused persons under the Act to apply for anticipatory bail.
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989
The Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, or the SC/ST Act protects the marginalised communities against discrimination and atrocities.
The SC/ST Act includes 22 offences relating to various patterns or behaviours inflicting criminal offences and breaking the self-respect and esteem of the scheduled castes and tribes community.
The act also safeguards SC/ST against social disabilities like, denial of access to certain places and passage, forceful drinking or eating of inedible food sexual exploitation, injury etc.
The act also have a provision for a Special Court for speedy trial of offences under the Act in each district.
Recently Supreme Court ruled that public servants cannot be prosecuted without the approval of the appointing authority and citizens too should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law.
Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Mission
Why in news ?
The government has approved the launch of a new Centrally Sponsored Ayushman Bharat -National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) under Ayushman Bharat Mission anchored in the MoHFW.
Salient Features
1) The scheme will have a defined benefit cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year, to cover almost all secondary care and most of tertiary care procedures.
2) Pre and post Hospitalization expenses and transport allowance per hospitalization is also covered under the scheme.
3) A beneficiary, covered under the scheme can take cashless benefits from any public and empanelled private hospital across the country.
4) The scheme will be an entitlement based scheme with entitlement decided on the basis of deprivation criteria in the SECC database. For urban areas, 11 defined occupational categories are entitled under the scheme.
5) States will be free to choose the modalities for implementation. They can implement through insurance company or directly through Trust/ Society or a mixed model.
6) The scheme also proposes "Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission Council" (AB-NHPMC) at apex level Chaired by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, to fooster coordination between center and states.
7) The scheme also proposes to have an "Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission Governing Board (AB-NHPMGB)" which will be jointly chaired by Secretary (HFW) and Member (Health), NITI Aayog.
8) The scheme also proposes to establish an "Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Mission Agency (AB-NHPMA)" to manage the AB-NHPM at the operational level in the form of a Society. AB-NHPMA will be headed by a full time CEO of the level of Secretary/ Additional Secretary to the Government of India.
9) States needs to choose from existing "Trust / Society / Not for Profit Company/ State Nodal Agency" or create a new one to act as "State Health Agency (SHA)" to implement the scheme.
What is Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018
In a bid to tackle illicit deposits, the government has introduced a comprehensive bill in the parliament called Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018.
Why the bill is needed ?
In absence of a comprehensive central legislation, regulatory procedures and strict administrative measures the companies/institutions dupe poor and gullible people of their hard-earned savings in the name of exciting schemes.
The Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was also introduced in the Lok Sabha before, the two bills including the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 are aimed at tackling the menace of illicit deposit taking activities in the country.
What is Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 ?
The proposed bill is introduced to prohibit illicit deposit schemes and related activities completely. According to the bill a "deposit taker" has to register themselves with related regulator like RBI, SEBI, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and the State governments etc.
"Deposit Takers" defined as all possible entities including individuals receiving or soliciting deposits, except specific entities such as those incorporated by legislation has to follow the rules while taking any public deposit, failing which the same will be considered "unregulated" and hence be banned.
Three different types of offences are categorised under the bill including, running of Unregulated Deposit Schemes, fraudulent default in Regulated Deposit Schemes, and wrongful inducement in relation to Unregulated Deposit Schemes.
The bill empowers police to search and seize any property believed to be connected with an offence under the Bill, with or without a warrant.
A "Competent Authority" is also proposed to be appointed to have the powers similar to a civil court, while designated courts are also suggested under the bill to tackle such cases
According to the bill an online central database will be created for collection and sharing of information on deposit taking activities in the country.
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill 2018
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill 2018
The amendments propose to reduce the minimum voting threshold for the Committee of Creditors (CoC) to 66 per cent, from the existing 75 per cent for key decisions.
The amendment will give a status of "financial creditors" to home buyers, making them an integral part of the decision-making process by due representation in the Committee of Creditors (CoC).
The amendment has also provisions to help speedier resolution of stressed assets in the MSME sector, these will help in strengthening the public sector banks and will prevent their denationalisation.
The amendment also requires the lenders deciding on a corporate rescue plan to first seek the approval of Competition Commission of India (CCI) before finalising the scheme.
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC)
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) was passed in 2016 to provide one stop solution for resolving insolvencies which is a long process and does not offer an economically viable arrangement.
Under the act separate insolvency resolution processes are described for individuals, companies and partnership firms, where the process can be initiated by either the debtor or the creditors.
According to the act the resolution process should be completed within specified time limit, for companies 180 days, which may be extended by 90 days, if a majority of the creditors agree.
For start ups (other than partnership firms), small companies and other companies (with asset less than Rs. 1 crore), resolution process would be completed within 90 days of initiation of request which may be extended by 45 days.
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India is also established under the act, the board has a total of 10 members from Ministries of Finance and Law, and the Reserve Bank of India.
Licensed professionals are also there to manage the insolvency process and to control the assets of the debtor during the insolvency process.
Two separate tribunals are established forindividuals and companies to oversee the process of the resolution:
1) The National Company Law Tribunal for Companies and Limited Liability Partnership firms.
2) The Debt Recovery Tribunal for individuals and partnerships.
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