[CA] Lokpal

 On March 19, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh was appointed as India’s first Lokpal. The announcement came after a delay of five years as the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, which envisaged appointment of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the States to look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants, was passed in 2013. Now that the Lokpal chairman and eight members have been appointed, there may arise many questions related to its functions, duties and powers. Here, we seek to answer some questions about its functioning and the procedure for dealing with complaints against public servants under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Who are the public servants covered by the Act?

 The Lokpal has jurisdiction to inquire into allegations of corruption against anyone who is or has been Prime Minister, or a Minister in the Union government, or a Member of Parliament, as well as officials of the Union government under Groups A, B, C and D. Also covered are chairpersons, members, officers and directors of any board, corporation, society, trust or autonomous body either established by an Act of Parliament or wholly or partly funded by the Centre. It also covers any society or trust or body that receives foreign contribution above Rs.10 lakh.

What happens if a charge is made against the PM?

 The Lokpal cannot inquire into any corruption charge against the Prime Minister if the allegations are related to international relations, external and internal security, public order, atomic energy and space, unless a full Bench of the Lokpal, consisting of its chair and all members, considers the initiation of a probe, and at least two-thirds of the members approve it. Such a hearing should be held in camera, and if the complaint is dismissed, the records shall not be published or made available to anyone.

What is the procedure for preliminary inquiry?

 The Inquiry Wing or any other agency will have to complete its preliminary inquiry and submit a report to the Lokpal within 60 days. It has to seek comments from both the public servant and “the competent authority,” before submitting its report. There will be a ‘competent authority’ for each category of public servant. For instance, for the Prime Minister, it is the Lok Sabha, and for other Ministers, it will be the Prime Minister. And for department officials, it will be the Minister concerned.

Who are the functionaries of the Lokpal?

 The Lokpal will have a Secretary, who will be appointed by the Lokpal Chairperson from a panel of names prepared by the Central government. The Secretary will be of the rank of Secretary to the Government of India. The Lokpal will have to appoint an Inquiry Wing, headed by a Director of Inquiry, and a Prosecution Wing, headed by a Director of Prosecution. Until these officers are appointed, the government will have to make available officers and staff from its Ministries and Departments to conduct preliminary inquiries and pursue prosecution. The institution will also have to appoint other officers and staff.

[CA] China destroys 30,000 ‘incorrect’ world maps

Customs officials in China have destroyed 30,000 world maps printed in the country for not mentioning Arunachal Pradesh and Taiwan as part of its territory, according to a media report.

China claims the north-eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet. The country also routinely objects to Indian leaders visiting Arunachal Pradesh to highlight its stand.

India maintains that the State of Arunachal Pradesh is integral and inalienable part of the country and Indian leaders visit Arunachal Pradesh from time to time, just as they visit other parts of the country.

The two countries have so far held 21 rounds of talks to resolve the border dispute covering 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC).

China also claims the estranged island of Taiwan as its part. The maps were meant for export to an unspecified country.

Almost 30,000 “incorrect” world maps, showing Taiwan as a separate country and wrong depiction of the Sino-Indian border, were destroyed by the customs authorities in Qingdao, it said.

“What China did in the map market was absolutely legitimate and necessary, because sovereignty and territorial integrity are the most important things to a country. Both Taiwan and South Tibet are parts of China’s territory which is sacred and inviolable based on the international law,” Liu Wenzong, professor from the department of International Law of China Foreign Affairs University said.

[CA] Project Kannamma

In Aug 2018, Project Kannamma, was started by providing free, biodegradable sanitary napkins to 82 students at the Government High School in Uthandi. Today, under Project Kannamma, Rotary North supports 300 girls across seven Government and Government-aided schools in the city.

The sanitary napkins are provided by the Irula Tribal Women’s Welfare Society (ITWWS) (The Irula tribes are classified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.) “Women from the community make 1000 pads per day, using Arunachalam Muruganantham, aka, Padman’s machines. If the group sells 15,000 pads per month, it can sustain the families of 12 tribal women,” explains Jacob Premkumar, who works with ITWWS. The sanitary napkin, under the brand Aavaram, is prepared with natural raw materials such as cotton and wood pulp, and a pack of six costs just Rs. 22.

[CA] $1 billion for fencing

 Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has authorised the Army Corps of Engineers to begin planning and building 57 miles of 18-foot-high fencing in Yuma, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas, along the U.S. border with Mexico.

The Pentagon says it will divert up to $1 billion to support the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection. The funding would also go toward installing lighting and constructing roads in those areas.

[CA] Chinook Helicopters

On March 25, 2019, the IAF formally inducted the CH 47 F(I)- Chinook heavy lift helicopters into its inventory at Air Force Station Chandigarh.

IAF had signed a contract with M/s Boeing Ltd in September 2015 for 15 Chinook helicopters. The first batch of four helicopters has been delivered on schedule and the last batch is to be delivered by March next year. These helicopters will be deployed in the Northern and Eastern regions of India.

The addition of heavy-lift CH 47 F(I) helicopter is a significant step towards modernisation of Indian Air Force’s helicopter fleet. The helicopter has been customized to suit IAF’s future requirements and capability roadmap. The helicopter has a fully integrated digital cockpit management system, advanced cargo handling capabilities and electronic warfare suite that complement the aircraft’s performance. The helicopter is capable of airlifting diverse military and non military loads into remote locations.