23 March 2023

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – About the New START Treaty: GS II – Topic International Relations

• The Russian Federation and the United States of America signed the New START Treaty, which outlines measures for further reducing and limiting strategic offensive weaponry.
• The agreement goes into force on February 5, 2011.
• It is intended to replace the START framework, which in 1991 set a limit on the number of warheads and strategic delivery vehicles that might be deployed by either side (after the conclusion of the Cold War).
• It continues the bipartisan process of verifiably reducing the strategic nuclear arsenals of the US and Russia by restricting each side to 700 strategic launchers and 1,550 operational warheads.
• Unless it is renewed for an additional five years, it ends in February 2021.

 Source The Indian Express

 2 – Details of the Waqf Board: GS II – Topic Statutory and Non-Statutory Bodies

 About:

• the giving of money or other resources to religious or charitable causes in the name of God.
• According to the law, the permanent dedication of any movable or immovable property for any purpose recognised by Muslim law as pious, religious, or benevolent by a person professing Islam

How are Waqf Boards formed?

• A property may become a waqf if it has been continuously utilised for religious or charity purposes for a long time; otherwise, a waqf may be created by the drafting of a deed or other legal document.
• The funds are commonly used to support mosques, cemeteries, schools, and shelter homes.
• The waqf would remain an ongoing entity, making it impossible for the individual who founded it to regain the assets.
• A non-Muslim may also create a waqf, but they must do it with Islamic goals in mind and in a way that declares Islam.

What is the Waqf Board’s procedure?

• It is governed by the 1995 Waqf Act.
• According to the Act, a survey commissioner is expected to conduct local research, speak with witnesses, and acquire public records in order to compile a list of all properties that have been designated as waqf.
• A manager who doubles as a mutawali oversees the waqf’s activities. Despite the fact that trusts can be created for motives other than charitable and religious ones, it is equivalent to one created in compliance with the Indian Trusts Act of 1882. In contrast to a waqf, a trust can also be disbanded by the board.
• It is allowed to buy, hold, and transfer any kind of property.
• Due to its status as a legal organisation or juristic person, the board is able to bring legal claims and be sued in court.

Composition:

• The Waqf Board, which consists of a chairperson, one or two state government nominations, Muslim lawmakers and parliamentarians, Muslim state bar council members, recognised Islamic scholars, and mutawalis of waqfs with an annual income of Rs. 1 lakh and more, is present in every state.

Other information:

• According to the law, the Waqf Board is responsible for overseeing the waqf’s assets and must get permission before transferring any immovable property owned by a waqf via a sale, gift, mortgage, exchange, or lease. However, unless at least two-thirds of the Waqf Board members vote in favour of the transaction, the sanction will not be granted.

 Source  The Hindu

3 – About the Fair and Remunerative Price: GS III – Topic Indian Agriculture

 Details of the FRP:

• FRP is the regulated price that the government mandates mills pay farmers for the cane that they purchase from them.
• Through the use of a contract with mills, farmers have the option to pay the FRP in instalments.
• When payments are late, interest fees of up to 15% per year may apply. Additionally, the sugar commissioner may seize mill assets to recover unpaid FRP as revenue recovery dues.
• According to the Sugarcane Control Order, 1966, which was issued under the Essential Commodities Act (ECA), 1955, FRP is required to be paid across the country within 14 days of the date the cane was delivered.
• Following the proposal of the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs made the announcement (CCEA).
• CACP is the name of a division within the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. As an advisory body, the government is not compelled to take its recommendations into consideration.
• The organisation is presided over by the Prime Minister of India.
• The FRP was built on the findings of the study on sugarcane industry restructuring conducted by the Rangarajan Committee.

What elements are taken into account when the FRP is announced?

Sugarcane production costs:

• Returning to the trend of agricultural commodity pricing and alternative crop growers, sugar is given to customers at a fair price.
• The cost at which producers of sugar sell their sugar that is made from sugarcane.
• Molasses, bagasse, and press mud are examples of byproducts that might bring in a profit or have their worth attributed to them.
• Sugarcane farmers should have enough margins to cover earnings and risk.

Payment options for FRP:

• The FRP is based on the sugar-recovery capacity of the cane.
• FRP has been established at Rs 2,900 per tonne at a base recovery of 10% for the sugar season of 2021–2022.
• Sugar recovery is the proportion of sugar produced to cane crushed that is expressed as a percentage.
• Higher FRP and sugar production are the results of higher recovery.

Details of the sugarcane crop:

• 21 to 27 degrees Celsius, humid and sticky.
• Between 75 and 100 cm of rain fall.
• Deep, rich loam makes up the soil.
• Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar produce the most sugarcane.
• India is the second-largest producer of sugarcane after Brazil.
• As long as the soil has sufficient drainage, it can be grown on any type of soil, from clay loam to sandy loam.
• From planting to harvesting, manual labour is necessary.
• It is the main producer of sugar, molasses, khandsari, and gur (jaggery).
• The National Policy on Biofuels and the Scheme for Extending Financial Assistance to Sugar Undertakings (SEFASU) are two government initiatives to support the cultivation of sugarcane and the sugar sector.

 Source The Indian Express

 4 – Details of the Central Vigilance Commissioner: GS II – Topic Constitutional Bodies 

History of CVC:

• The Central Vigilance Commission was established as a result of the Santhanam Committee’s recommendations, and the 2003 CVC Act granted it legal status. Its goal was to abolish governmental corruption and hold public servants accountable for their dishonest actions.

 The CVC’s objectives are:

• It is considered as the coordinating body for efforts to fight corruption in the All India Services, Central Services, PSUs, and other departments.
• In corruption cases, it is in responsibility of the Delhi Special Police.
• It looks at the prosecution warrants issued by the government.
• Discipline against senior Group A, Group B, All India Services, etc. personnel is suggested.
• It serves as the main hub for the fight against corruption on a national level.

Effectiveness of CVC:

• The CVC has demonstrated success in preventing corruption in accordance with its objective. It has done the following things in the past to prove this.
• Significant officers have previously been appointed to various positions with ease as a result of it.
• It has previously taken impressive action against top employees, lawmakers, and high-ranking authorities.
• It hosts Vigilance Week each year to spread awareness of the risks associated with corruption.
• It can carry out “Suo Moto” and acts as a court for civil disputes.
• The CVC’s independence is maintained because it is chosen by a fair committee composed of the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, etc.

Several problems faced by CVC:

• The expectation that CVC would be an organisation that could act as a “One Stop Solution” to fight corruption in the country has, however, been proven false due to the following ineffectiveness.
• The ministries and organisations are not compelled to follow the CVC’s rulings.
• A very low conviction rate has reduced CVC’s influence and effectiveness.
• Due to the lengthy nature of the cases handled by CVC, it is ineffectual as a deterrent.
• CVC is generally viewed as a hopeless agency because it is only recognised as an advisory body and lacks the power to direct the CBI to launch investigations into any individual with the rank of Joint Secretary or higher.
• Despite operating in a “somewhat autonomous” manner, the CVC lacks the funding and power necessary to pursue allegations of corruption.
• Most of the time, it is difficult to determine the domains and jurisdictions of the organisations.
• Diversity in the workplace causes task duplication and reduces performance.
• The Central Vigilance Commissioner position hasn’t been filled in a very long time.
• The CVC and other existing organisations can no longer effectively combat the corruption issue, necessitating the creation of new institutions like the Lokpal. The CVC’s power in relation to its mandate, financial independence, and expansion of its ordinarily constrained advisory role need to be questioned.

Source The Hindu