Current Affairs 12th January 2018

Current Affairs 12th January 2018 - Important Points

• Cabinet approved amendments to FDI Policy on - 10th January 2018
• 31 satellites along with Cartosat-2 launched by ISRO on - 12th January 2018
• First woman lawyer to be directly promoted as SC judge - Indu Malhotra
• Election Commission constitutes Umesh Sinha Committee to suggest changes to RP Act, 1951 on - 11th January 2018

Current Affairs 12th January 2018 - Details

Cabinet approved amendments to FDI Policy on - 10th January 2018

The Union Cabinet has passed various amendments to Foreign Direct Investment Policy. The aim of
amendments is to clarify and liberalise FDI policy in India to issue ease of performing business in Nation.
The liberalized policy will guide to larger FDI inflows contributing to extension of investment,
employment and earnings.
Important Highlights

• 100 percent FDI for Single Brand Retail Trading under automatic pathway.
• 100 percent FDI under automatic pathway in Construction Development.
• Foreign airlines permitted to investing up to 49 percent in Air India under government approval pathway.
• FIIs/FPIs permitted investing in Power Exchanges through main market. Meaning of ‘medical devices’ amended in FDI Policy.
• The present policy FDI policy on SBRT allows 49 percent FDI under automatic pathway, and after 49 percent up to 100 percent is allowed through government approval pathway. The amendment now allows 100 percent FDI for SBRT under automatic pathway. It also allows SBRT entity to set off its incremental sourcing of goods from India for global tasks during starting five years against mandatory sourcing requirement of 30 percent of purchases from India.
• Incremental sourcing means raise in terms of value of such global sourcing from India for that single
  brand especially financial year over previous financial year. After completion of five years period, SBRT entity shall be needed to meet 30 percent sourcing guidelines directly towards its India’s operation on yearly basis.
• The amendment simplify that real-estate broking service does not come under this business. Therefore, it is entitled for 100 percent FDI under automatic pathway.

Role of FDI in Civil Aviation

• Foreign airlines are allowed to invest money in Indian organizations operating scheduled and non-
  scheduled air transport services, up to the limit of 49 percent of their paid-up money under government approval pathway.
• However, this planning was not applicable to Air India, hinted that foreign airlines could not invest in Air India.
• The amendment does away with this limitation and allows foreign airlines to invest up to 49 percent under approval pathway in Air India.

31 satellites along with Cartosat-2 launched by ISRO on - 12th January 2018

The Indian Space Research Organisation on 12th January 2018 released 31 satellites along with Cartosat-2 satellite on its 44.4-metre tall Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket. The polar rocket was released from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. 

The 320 tones weight rocket will site the satellites turn-by-turn and positioned them into the earth's lower orbit. The whole lift-off action along with the action of placing the satellites in 2 orbits will take the satellite two hours and twenty-one minutes. It will be the extensive flight time of the PSLV C40.
PSLV-C40 successfully sited the Cartosat-2 series satellite into sun synchronous orbit.
Important Highlights

• Among 31 satellites, 3 satellites related to India and 28 are of 6 other nations. 
• The Indian satellites are 710 kilograms Cartosat-2 series, a 100 kilograms micro satellite and a 5 kilograms Nano satellite. 
• The 28 other satellites are from Canada, the United Kingdom, Finland, France, South Korea and the USA. 
• The 28 international consumer satellites were released as part of the business arrangements between ISRO and its commercial branch Antrix Corporation Ltd. 
  Cartosat 2 Series Satellite
• The PSLV-C40 rocket took India's 100th satellite, Cartosat 2, a surveillance satellite. 
• It weighs 710 kilograms and is the massive satellite that the PSLV has taken till now.
• The Cartosat-2 satellite release is a follow-on programme with the initial aim of providing high resolution scene specific spot imageries.
• Cartosat will beam high-quality pictures for cartographic, urban and rural uses, coastal land utilization and utility management.

First woman lawyer to be directly promoted as SC judge - Indu Malhotra

The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra has unanimously suggested
name of senior advocate Indu Malhotra for designation as a judge of the Supreme Court. With this, she
becomes 1st woman lawyer from the nation to be instantly elected for position of judge of the Supreme
Court. 

Moreover, she will be 7th woman judge in Supreme Court, since it was initiated 67 years ago. In 1989, Justice M. Fathima Beevi became 1st woman judge in Supreme Court. Presently, Justice R. Banumathi is single woman judge in Supreme Court which presently has a strength of 25 judges of total sanctioned strength of 31.
More about Indu Malhotra

• Indu Malhotra is well-reputed senior advocate practising in Supreme Court or the last 30 years. She was born in 1956 in Bengaluru, to famous advocate Om Prakash Malhotra.
• She started the legal profession in 1983 and after that secured 1st position in Advocate-on- Record
  examination for the SC. She has majored in law of arbitration and has been visible in many domestic and international commercial arbitrations. She has originator of Commentary on the Law and Practice of Arbitration in India-2014.
• In 2007, she became 2nd woman to be appointed as senior advocate by Supreme Court only after
  legendary Justice Leila Seth, who was provided honour in 1977.
• She is on board of trustees in SaveLIFE Foundation and represented NGO in case that resulted in Supreme Court approving a slew of laws to safeguard good Samaritans, who save lives in road mishappenings.

Election Commission constitutes Umesh Sinha Committee to suggest changes to RP Act, 1951 on - 11th January 2018

The Election Commission of India on 11th January 2018 formed a 14 members committee to propose changes to Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 in view of social media development. The Committee will be headed by Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha. 
Terms of Reference of the Committee  

• The committee will consist of 9 officers of Election Commission, 1 nominated member each from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, National Broadcasters Association, Law Ministry, IT Ministry and Press Council of India.
• It will examine the impact of new media and social media during the “silence period”, the 48 hours period earlier to elections and its intimation in view of Section 126 of the RP Act.
• After an in-depth examine, it will propose changes to the election law and model code of conduct.
• It will study the difficulties seen in regulating media platforms during the prohibited 48 hours in a multi-phase election.
• The committee will present its report within 3 months.
  Reason behind constitution of the Committee
• The order related to the constitution of the committee 3 weeks after the Election Commission removed its notice released to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for giving interviews to Television channels on 13th December 2017, a day before the 2nd phase of the Gujarat polls. 
• The publication of notice to Rahul had evoked a powerful reaction from the Congress party, which asked the move on the ground that it did not begin action against news channels for declaring BJP president Amit Shah’s interview and Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s press conference, which happened on the same day of Rahul Gandhi’s interview. 
• The Election Commission eventually had to remove its notice and subsequently, the committee was formed.
  Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951
• Section 126 of the Representation of the People, 1951, bans exhibiting any election matter by means, inter alia, of TV or same equipment, during the period of 48 hours earlier the hour fixed for conclusion of poll in a constituency.