NEWS
CABINET APPROVES NEW POLICY FOR BIOFUELS
- The Union Cabinet approved a national policy on biofuels that seeks to not only help farmers dispose of their surplus stock in an economic manner but also reduce India’s oil-import dependence.
- The policy expands the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of sugarcane juice, sugar containing materials like sugar beet, sweet sorghum, starch containing materials like corn, cassava, damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice, rotten potatoes [that are] unfit for human consumption for ethanol production.
- The policy also provides for a viability gap funding scheme of ₹5,000 crore in six years for second generation (more advanced) ethanol bio-refineries in addition to tax incentives and a higher purchase price as compared to first generation biofuels.
Relevance : Prelims, GS 3
WON’T ALLOW ARREST OF INNOCENTS EVEN IF GOVT MAKES LAW: SC
- Toughening its stand against a plea to review its ruling diluting the arrest clause in the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Supreme Court said it would not allow arrest of an innocent merely on a complaint even if Parliament made such a law.
- “Right to life and liberty must be read into every provision that prescribes arrest of a person. That is the mandate for the Supreme Court and that was the approach followed by us while delivering the (March 20) judgment. Enforcement of law has to be fair and just and cardinality of Article 21rights cannot be denied even by Parliament,” Supreme Court said.
- The remarks are significant in the light of reports that Centre is preparing to bring an ordinance in case the SC does not restore the arrest provision in a case registered under the Act.
- The judgment introduced the anticipatory bail provision, absent in the SC/ST Act. It also said no arrest could be made without a senior police officer carrying out a preliminary enquiry to establish the veracity of a complaint alleging that a derogatory reference was made against a person belonging to the SC or ST community. Under the original law, a mere complaint of a derogatory reference, a cognisable offence under the Act, was enough for the accused to be arrested.
- The SC also introduced prior sanction from appointing authority, in case of a public servant, and from the senior superintendent of police, in case of a commoner, for arrests under the Act.
- The SC said, “The Centre cannot make any grievance against the fair procedure that we have provided for effecting arrest of a person under the SC/ST Act. We will not allow arrest of an innocent even if Parliament makes such a law. That is the mandate for the Supreme Court. If an innocent person can be arrested or put behind bars, then we are not living in a civilised society.”
Relevance : GS 2
PM MAY GO TO INDONESIA BY SEA
- Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit, Indonesia has hinted it might give Indian ships — including its naval vessels — access to a deep sea port in Sabang.
- Sabang is just over 700 km from Andaman & Nicobar islands. Luhut said the Jokowi government wanted India to invest in an economic zone in that same area, which is not partiuclarly developed.
- There is speculation that Modi might undertake a sea journey to Sabang to highlight how close Indonesia is to Indi.
Relevance : Prelims, GS 2
IMPORTANT FACTS IN NEWS
Satkosia Tiger Reserve
Six tigers will be relocated to the Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha’s Angul district from Madhya Pradesh as part of the State government’s plan to revive big cat population in the protected forest.
Indian Vulture
The Long-billed Vulture or Indian Vulture is critically endangered., the field researcher at the vulture conservation site, now in Penchikalpet Forest Range.
Swachhta Survey
Jharkhand has emerged as the best-performing State in terms of cleanliness, while Indore in Madhya Pradesh was adjudged the cleanest city in the country, according to the government swachhta survey released.
BSE
BSE, Asia’s oldest stock exchange, has become the first Indian exchange to be recognised as a designated offshore securities market (DOSM) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The DOSM status allows sale of securities to U.S. investors through the trading venue of BSE without registration of such securities with the U.S. SEC and thus eases the trades by U.S. investors in India.
Natuna Sea/Island
After years of denying they had a problem with China’s claiming the seas and territory around, Indonesia renamed its sea the Natuna Sea.
Relevance : Prelims
