2 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

Reason for present crisis Since October-2016 Myanmar’s army has carried out “clearance operations” in the north of the western state to root out insurgents accused of deadly raids on police border posts. Challenges of crisis

1. A large number of those escaping the violence end up in the trafficking networks.

2. The persecuted Rohingya Muslims are likely to provide fertile recruiting grounds for extremists. There are reports of increasing radicalisation in the community.

3. Some sections of the Rohingyas have formed armed guerilla groups in Rakhine to fight Myanmar’s Army and operate along the mountainous border.

Way forward: The Rohingya crisis is, first of all, a political issue in Myanmar. The ultimate solution lies in the granting citizenship and ensuring equal rights in their ancestral home.

CHENNAI OIL SPILL Why in news? Two vessels collided off the Kamarajar Port at Ennore near Chennai resulting in oil spill in the sea. Ecological Footprint of Oil Spill :

• Damage to fish, turtles, crabs among other marine animals. • Loss of livelihood to fisherman as venturing out into the sea was not

safe. • Consumers’ reluctance to buy sea food added to woes of fisherman. • Environmental damage to coastal areas.

3 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

• Heavy metals released along with oil will poison marine life all the way up the food chain.

Why Oil Spills are difficult to contain?

• When oil hits the sea, its surface is quickly dispersed by the wind, while sea currents spread the lower layers in contact with the water. This twin action creates a large, ever-expanding film of oil called a “slick”.

• Along the shore, the oil mixes with sand and debris to form a thick viscous sludge that gradually oxidizes into a toxic brown mass that experts like to call “chocolate mousse”.

Bioremediation techniques: Pseudomonas putida– most widely used rod shaped bacteria in cleaning oil spills. Oilzapper - cocktail of five different bacterial strains - feeds on hydrocarbon compounds present in crude oil and oily sludge - converts them into harmless CO2 and water. Oilivorous-S - effective against sludge and crude oil with high-sulphur content. Both Oilzapper and Oilivorous-S - can be used in situ, thereby eliminating the need to transfer large quantities of contaminated waste from the site, a process that poses more threats to the environment. Suggestions to reduce the incidences:

• Need for a comprehensive legal mechanism. • Responsibility for any negligence on the part of any actor should be

fixed. • A detailed report should be prepared to learn from the mistakes or

lapses and rectify them.

4 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

HYDROCARBON PROJECT Hydrocarbon: An organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbon (or oil or gas ) exploration: Is the search or hydrocarbon deposits beneath the earth’s surface such as oil and natural gas. Hydrocarbon Projects In India: One of PM Modi’s flagship energy policies and part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Aim: To secure country’s energy needs and to make India self-sufficient in energy. DSF Policy: Tapping small oil and gas fields to reduce country’s import dependency. PM launched the Discovered Small Fields (DSF) policy on 25 May 2016. Aim: To reduce the country’s dependence on oil imports by 10% by 2022. HELP and NELP:

1. The Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy – 2016 (HELP) replaced the previous licensing format (NELP) which was already in place for 18 years.

2. The New Exploration Licensing policy (NELP) had issued separate licenses to different types of hydrocarbons, whereas HELP covered all hydrocarbons such as oil, gas, coal bed methane, etc.

Neduvasal Hydrocarbon Project: The Background

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister on February 15, 2015, gave its approval for all the hydrocarbon projects including Neduvasal Hydrocarbon Project as a part of the Centre’s 2015 ‘Discovered Small Fields policy’.

5 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

• The two contract areas, Karaikal (10.4 Sq km) located in Puducherry and Neduvasal (10.0 Sq km) located in Tamil Nadu were awarded under Discovered Small Field (DSF) bidding round.

• They have an in-place volume of 4,30,000 metric tons of oil and oil equivalent gas.

• The proposed Hydrocarbon Project at Neduvasal village in Pudukkottai district was recommended for award to GEM laboratories Private Limited, a company based out of Davangere in Karnataka for extracting both oil and natural gas from hydrocarbon sediments in an area of about 10.0 sq km.

Resistance: Notable, out of the 31 hydrocarbon areas, nine fields are located in Assam, six in Mumbai offshore, five in Gujarat, four in Andhra Pradesh, while there was only one in Tamil Nadu’s Neduvasal (Pudukottai district) and one in Puducherry’sKaraikkal. Yet, resistance has come from Neduvasal and Karaikal. Neduvasal Hydrocarbon Project: What are the reasons put forward by the protestors?

• Would pose severe environmental problems. • Would adversely affect the livelihood of farmers in and around

Neduvasal. • The farmers also claimed that the fertility of the land will be affected. • There is also apprehension regarding the lowering of ground water

level. • The displacement of habitation of the people in the village. • The villagers also fear that this project may disturb the interface of the

seawater and groundwater that may later on results in the intrusion of saline water to the fresh water sources.

• There may be no agricultural activity while the hydrocarbon exploration is on. The villagers in and around Neduvasal are completely dependent on agriculture for their livelihood and this may seriously affect their life pattern.

6 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

• The government didn’t have any information related to the exact location of hydrocarbon exploration and there is no clarity in how the crude oil will be extracted.

Events before: The Cauvery Delta witnessed similar protests in 2013 over the Coal Bed Methane exploration project, which aimed at extracting methane gas using hydraulic fracturing. Three years later, in November 2016, the Centre announced that it was forced to cancel CBM exploration in Tamil Nadu owing to the agitation by the farming community. Centre’s standpoint and view on hydrocarbon project (Mostly pros):

1. It will result in economic benefits to TN. 2. Project would generate 500 direct jobs and Rs. 300 crore and Rs. 40

crore as royalty for Tamilnadu 3. There are three similar operational exploration blocks of

approximately 1,461sqkm in the state. 4. Till date, more than 700 wells have been drilled for extraction of oil

and gas in Tamil Nadu 5. These active operations are not hampering agriculture in nearby areas

and do not pose any known environmental impact or health hazards on living beings of the operational area.

6. Also said oil and gas extraction were being carried out from deeper earth area (generally 1,000m) and thus does not affect groundwater aquifers located at much shallower levels.

7. Drilling and production of oil or gas require very limited surface land area (generally 120X120 sq.m) which does not affect farming or the soil of the entire lease area.

8. Allaying fears on methane being a dangerous gas, the government note said this gas was being used as household fuel globally as piped natural gas (PNG).

7 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

LEPROSY:

1. Chronic disease caused by a bacillus, Mycobacterium leprae. 2. M. leprae multiplies very slowly. 3. Leprosy is not highly infectious. 4. Transmitted via droplets, from the nose and mouth, during close and

frequent contacts with untreated cases. 5. Untreated, leprosy can cause progressive and permanent damage to

the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. 6. Early diagnosis and treatment with multidrug therapy (MDT) remain

the key elements in eliminating the disease as a public health concern. 7. Treatment: Drugs such as rifampicin, clofazimine, and dapsone are

used to treat Leprosy. Multi drug therapies are recommended by WHO and are widely used.

National Leprosy Eradication Programme

• Government of India had launched the National Leprosy Control Programme in 1955 based on “Daps one” immunotherapy.

• Then the Multi Drug Therapy (MDT) came into wide use from 1982 and the Programme was re-designated the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) in 1983.

• During the 2nd phase, NLEP was decentralized to States/Districts and Leprosy Services were integrated with the General Health Care System.

• Since then, free Multi Drug Therapy (MDT) is available at all Sub-Centre’s, PHCs and Government Hospitals and Dispensaries on all working days.

• The programme has been integrated with NRHM. The state & district leprosy societies have been merged with the state and district health societies.

• The National Health Policy, 2002 had set the goal of elimination of leprosy (i.e., to reduce the number of cases to <1/10,000 population) by the year 2005. India has achieved this goal of elimination of leprosy as a public health problem at the national level in the month of

8 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

December 2005, when the recorded Prevalence Rate (PR) in the country was 0.95/10,000 population.

• By March 2007, the prevalence rate of leprosy in the country had declined to 0.72 per 10,000 population.

Current Position

1. The above narrative comes from the India Year Book and clearly says that India achieved the elimination of leprosy 7 years ago.

2. But, according to WHO, India still records the highest number of fresh cases globally.

3. As per WHO, 65% of all new cases of leprosy globally are from India. Note: Under the 12th five-year plan, starting from 2012, India intends to start WHO’s child-to-child policy under which school students will be taught to identify patches on the skin of their classmates. Although there is no vaccine, leprosy is curable with multi-drug therapy (MDT). Within a day of starting MDT, there is no risk of the disease infecting another person.

DEMONETISATION BILL

The Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Act, 2017 Presented by: Finance minister ArunJaitley in LokSabha on February 3, 2017. Aim: To prohibit the holding, transferring or receiving of scrapped old Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 currency notes from 31 December, 2016 Key Features:

• Ends the liability of the RBI and the government on the demonetised Rs.500 and Rs. 1000 currency notes.

9 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

• Prohibits the holding, transferring or receiving of demonitised notes from 31 December, 2016 and confers power on the court of a first class magistrate to impose the penalty.

• Possessing more than 10 pieces of old notes by individuals and more

than 25 pieces for study, research or numismatics purposes will attract a fine of Rs. 10,000 or five times the value of cash held, whichever is higher.

• Fine of a minimum of Rs, 50,000 will be imposed for a false

declaration by persons for being abroad during the demonetisation period (9 November-30 December, 2016).

History:

• 1946 - RBI demonetized Rs 1,000 and Rs 10,000 notes. • Later, higher denomination bank notes (Rs 1000, Rs 5000 and Rs

10000) were re-introduced in 1954. However, Morarji Desai government demonetised these notes in 1978.

• Rs 10,000 note was printed in 1938 and 1954 and was subsequently demonetised in 1946 and 1978 respectively.

Why the government has banned Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 notes?

1. Unaccounted money used in corruption or any deals takes place in the form of high-value notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 bills.

2. Often found to be used for funding terrorism and corruption. 3. Often used in money laundering schemes, racketeering, and drug and

people trafficking. Why Rs. 2000 note has been issued if the objective is to combat black money and corruption by removing large value notes? It is felt that the small businesses and India still needs to use cash and in such cases Rs 2,000 denomination notes would come handy. The

10 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

government has added that the central bank would cautiously monitor and regulate the issuance of Rs 2,000 notes in the system. So, it is expected that the Rs 2,000 notes will not be issued in large numbers. How the government has planned to track evaders? Although it is not completely clear how the government is planning to check and track tax evaders, the following steps have been taken to achieve the same:

• Basic identification is made mandatory for any exchange or deposit of cash. Moreover, all the deposits made over Rs. 2.5 lakh will be directly reported to the IT department by the bank concerned.

• In order to check the conversion of black money into gold or jewellery, government has asked all the jewellers to verify the permanent account number (PAN) of their customers.

What are the pros of this move? The system is expected to prove positive for the economy in the long run:

• It will boost the formal economy in the long run as black money hoarders will not able to make their money white.

• Middle class citizens may get benefitted from the short term fall in real estate prices. This move along with the implementation of GST is likely to make the system more efficient, accountable and transparent.

Draft Public Health (Prevention, control and Management of epidemics, bio-terrorism and disasters) Bill, 2017

By Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

11 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

Aim: To provide for the prevention, control and management of epidemics, public health consequences of disasters, acts of bio terrorism or threats thereof and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. Goal:

1. Attainment of the highest possible level of good health and well-being.

2. Preventive and promotive health care orientation in all developmental policies.

3. Universal access to good quality health care services without anyone having to face financial hardship as a consequence.

Key Policy Principles:

1. Equity 2. Universality 3. Quality and Patient centered care. 4. Inclusive partnerships 5. Pluralism 6. Decentralization 7. Accountability 8. Professionalism, Integrity and Ethics 9. Learning and adaptive system 10. Affordability.

Objectives:

1. Improve population health status. 2. Achieve a significant reduction in out of pocket expenditure due to

health care costs 3. Assure universal availability of free, comprehensive primary health

care services (reproductive, maternal, child and adolescent health and communicable and non-communicable diseases)

4. Enable universal access to free essential drugs, diagnostics, emergency ambulance services, emergency medical and surgical care services.

12 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

5. Ensure improved access and affordability of secondary and tertiary care services.

Policy Directions:

1. Ensuring adequate investment 2. Preventive and promotive health 3. Organization of public health care delivery in primary, secondary and

tertiary care, in public hospitals, in infrastructure and human resource development, in urban health, in national health programmes and in AYUSH services.

GOODS AND SERVICES TAX

1. It is a value added tax, when tax is imposed only on the value added at each stage in the supply chain.

2. “GST is a single tax on all goods and services in the entire economy”. 3. Present Indian indirect tax structure is Very complex 4. Large number of taxes imposed by centre and states.

Taxes by state:

1. VAT/Sales tax. 2. Luxury tax. 3. Purchase tax 4. State cesses. 5. Surcharge. 6. Entertainment tax.

Taxes by Centre:

1. Excise duty 2. Additional customs duty\central sales tax 3. Central surcharges and cesses 4. Central tax on services

13 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

GST Taxing Structure:

1. All central and state taxes will subsume in GST. 2. There is a tax credit available at each stage right from manufacture to

each additional stage of sale. 3. Tax need to be paid only on the value added instead of whole amount. 4. Example: 5. If tax paid on 2 laks at 15%, at stage I, then tax = Rs. 30,000 6. Next stage II: when same good is sold at next stage at Rs. 2.5 lakhs,

then tax would be Rs. 37,500. 7. But in GST, Tax at stage II would be Rs. 7,500, since there is a set of Rs.

30,000 available. 8. Therefore, GST removes Tax on Tax.

Levy of GST:

1. By Centre Goods and Services Tax (CGST) 2. By State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) 3. Inter-State Supplies – Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST),

levied and collected by Centre. GST Council

1. Apex policy making body 2. administrative body of GST 3. Composition: Central Finance Minister + State Finance Ministers 4. GST tax rate: GST council is working on tax rate acceptable to all.

Exemptions:

1. Petroleum products and alcohol are major sources of revenue to state – so they object the inclusion of these items in GST.

2. Consequently – alcohol has been exempted and petroleum products exempted for a short period.

3. Entertainment tax by local bodies has been exempted (Entertainment tax by state will be subsumed in GST.

4. Stamp duties by state has been exempted.

14 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

Introduction:

1. It will make the indirect tax system more efficient. 2. More than 140 countries have so far implemented GST.

Advantages of GST:

1. Simplifies indirect tax structure. 2. Since it is a VAT, removes the cascading effects of double taxation. 3. Through uniform GST for entire country, a common market is created

for entire economy. 4. Since no cascading effects of double taxation – consumer gets the

benefit of lower prices through lower burden. 5. Can make Indian products more competitive in Indian Market. 6. Business friendly – simplified procedure. 7. Economists believe – GST alone can increase GDP growth close to 1%.

Order of events:

1. GST proposed in 2006-2007 Budget 2. Delayed due to lack of consensus among political parties 3. GST bill (122nd Constitution Amendment Bill) – passed in LokSabha

and RajyaSabha in May 2016 4. First state to ratify – Assam.

FAMINE IN AFRICA Famine:

1. Extreme scarcity of food. 2. A rare and specific state.

Causes:

• Crop failure

15 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

• Population imbalance • Government policies. • Nations facing famine are either in war or recovering from decades of

conflict. Why famine in Africa?

• Conflicts • Climate change • Donor country politics.

Famine is declared after three criteria are met:

• When one in five households in a certain area face extreme food shortages;

• More than 30% of the population is acutely malnourished; and • At least two people for every 10,000 die each day.

Incidences:

• Famine was last declared in Somalia in July 2011. • Recently famine had been declared in South Sudan. • UN Secretary-General AntónioGuterres raised the alarm about the

risk of famine in northern Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen. Present Crisis: According to UN

• 20 million people are on the brink of famine, including 1.4 million children at imminent risk of death.

• Funding: the UN needs $5.6 billion to address the needs. Barely 2% of that money is in hand.

• As all four countries are reeling from conflict, in many instances, the leaders of warring parties are blocking aid workers from delivering relief where it is most needed.

16 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

LIST OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN TAMIL NADU

• Hazardous industrial waste generation • Biomedical waste generation. • Electronic waste generation. • Increasing vehicular population • Consequent increase in energy demand and air pollution • Accumulation of plastic waste on land and water bodies – leading to

health impact on cattle and water animals. • Acute invasion of Seemaikaruvelam trees –leading to water table

decline. • Dearth of fresh water • Depletion of ground water • Water pollution • Reduction in fish catch • Sea water intrusion. • Decrease in green cover of the state – causes. • Open incineration of garbage leading to air pollution and health

hazards.

RECENTSTATE ELECTIONS – 2017

Uttar Pradesh:

• Total Assembly Constituencies • 403

• Constituencies won by ruling party

• 325

• Ruling Party • BharatiyaJanataParty

• Opposition Party • Samajwadi Party

• Chief Minister • Yogi Adityanath

• Governor • Ram Naik

• Chief Electoral Officer • T. Venkatesh

• Previous Government • Samajwadi Party

17 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

Punjab:

Goa:

Total Assembly Constituencies

117

Constituencies won by ruling party

77

Ruling Party Indian National Congress Opposition Party NDA Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh Governor Shri V.P. Singh Badnore Chief Electoral Officer

Shri V. K. Singh

Previous Government

ShiromaniAkali Dal

Total Assembly Constituencies

40

Constituencies won by ruling party (coalition)

23

Ruling Party

BharatiyaJanata Party

Opposition Party Indian National Congress Chief Minister ManoharParrikar

Governor MridulaSinha

Chief Electoral Officer

N.S. Navti

Previous Government

Bharatiya Janata Party

18 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

Manipur: Total Assembly Constituencies

60

Constituencies won by ruling party

28

Ruling Party

BharatiyaJanata Party

Opposition Party

Indian National Congress

Chief Minister

N. Biren Singh

Governor

Dr. Najma A. Heptulla

Chief Electoral Officer

Oinam Nabakishore Singh

Previous Government

Indian National Congress

Uttarakhand: Total Assembly Constituencies

70

Constituencies won by ruling party 57 Ruling Party

BharatiyaJanata Party

Opposition Party

Indian National Congress

Chief Minister

Trivendra Singh Rawat Doiwala

Governor Krishan Kant Paul Previous Government Indian National Congress

19 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

BAN ON LIQUOR/ALCOHOL PROHIBITION IN INDIA Evolution of call for Ban on liquor

1. Prohibition was first adopted as a programme by the Indian National Congress during the British Days.

2. After independence it was included in the DPSP of our constitution (Article 47).

3. The government did not like to enforce prohibition as it feared that it might face opposition from some sections of people. The result of this lukewarm policy of the government was that this evil spread in society and liquor began to be consumed in ever increasing quantities in the country.

4. In 1977, however, the Janata Government under Morarji Desai introduced prohibition in a phased manner. Complete prohibition was the ultimate goal. Some people criticized the government for this and said that it was interference in their private lives. There was an organized resistance to it and Mr. Desai’s government was overthrown.

5. Fresh elections brought Congress (I) back to the power. It did not take much interest in enforcing prohibition and the goal of complete prohibition seems to have been given up.

6. Total prohibition is not a viable proposition. It was done in Bihar and Orissa years ago but the alarming rate of deaths due to consumption of poisonous and deadly illicit liquor unnerved the government and the policy had to be revised.

Why stagnancy in prohibition?

1. Loss of revenue: The revenue obtained from the excise duty from sale of liquor forms a major part of the income of the Central and State Exchequer.

2. Sprouting of illicit breweries: If prohibition is introduced, the amount will go into the hands of the antisocial elements who will turn their houses into illicit breweries and earn by playing on the weakness of the people for drinks.

20 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

3. Loss of employment:Millions of labourers are engaged in alcoholic industry all over India. If total prohibition is introduced they will be thrown out of employment, and are naturally join the bootlegging gang thus increase the members of the underworld resulting in the increase of crime.

4. Deaths : Due to consumption of poisonous and deadly illicit liquor. Liquor banned states:

1. Gujarat 2. Kerala 3. Bihar 4. Nagaland 5. Manipur 6. Lakshadweep 7. Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Mizoram and Tamil Nadu have previously

enforced, but later repealed prohibition. Recent Liquor prohibitions in India:

1. Haryana government imposes penalty on liquor consumption in public.

2. Himachal Pradesh inaugurated campaign against drug addiction. 3. Bihar government prohibits state officials from consuming liquor

anywhere in the world. Supreme court’s order on Liquor ban: In April 2016, Supreme Court ordered a ban on sale of liquor within 500 metres of highways. Highlights of the order:

1. The Supreme Court sticks to liquor ban, no vends allowed on highways.

21 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

2. Hotels, pubs, restaurants within 500 m from highways can’t serve alcohol.

3. Also ordered removal of liquor banners and ads near highways. Conclusion: Drinking is definitely an evil to the individual, family and to the society. Large majority of our people are still below the poverty line and therefore should avoid wasting their hard earned money on drinking and then spending for medical expenses. Thus, ban on liquor is inevitable.

ALCOHOL PROHIBITION IN TAMIL NADU Ban on Liquor Governed in TN by:

State Prohibition and Excise Department Prohibition before independence:

1. Madras Abkari Act, 1886 - banned local manufacturing of alcohol and confined it to central distilleries.

2. Major Indian freedom struggle like the Swadeshi, Non-Cooperation, and Civil Disobedience movement played vital role in anti-alcohol agitation.

3. When Congress won with majority in Madras Presidency in 1937, C. Rajagopalachari imposed alcohol prohibition in Salem district then later extended throughout the presidency.

Prohibition after independence:

1. Though prohibition was relaxed on other states after independence including former Madras Presidency regions, Tamil Nadu continued to adopt total prohibition until 1971.

2. In 1971 the DMK government led by M. Karunanidhi suspended it in 1971 and allowed the sale of arrack and toddy. But later, the same government stopped the sale of these in 1974.

22 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

3. In 1981, the AIADMK government headed by M.G. Ramachandran lifted prohibition and reintroduced the sale of arrack and toddy.

4. Due to wide use of the methanol in industries and there were no restrictions in other States, In 1984 September methanol was removed from the purview of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act.

5. In 1987, the sale of arrack and toddy was again banned. 6. During 1975-76 and 1988–90, illicit liquor claimed many lives in Tamil

Nadu. 7. In 1990, the DMK government revived the sale of arrack and toddy. In

1991 July 16, again the sale of arrack and toddy was banned by new government led by J. Jayalalitha.

8. Methanol was substituted and consumed under the illegal liquor trade. In 2002, Methanol brought again under Prohibition act

Recent anti-liquor agitations

1. 59-year-old Gandhian SasiPerumal protested to demand closure of a TASMAC shop in Kanyakumari. During the protest on 2015 July 31, Perumal climbed up a mobile phone tower and began losing his consciousness led to death.

2. In August 2015, residents of Kalingapatty village in Tirunelveli district, was led by Mariammal, mother of Vaiko ransacked nearby TASMAC outlet to call for prohibition in the state.

3. On 2015 October 30, police arrested Kovan, a Folk artist and a member of extreme Left group MakkalKalaiIyakkam, who was criticising government policy on earning revenue by selling liquor.

Steps by TN government in prohibiting liquor:

1. On 2016 May 24, After swearing-in J. Jayalalitha has announced to close 500 liquor shops and reduce the business hours of State-run liquor shops across the State.

2. On 20 February 2017, the first office order signed by the Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami was the closure of 500 liquor outlets owned by TASMAC. This is in addition to the 500 liquor outlets closed down by late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in May 2016.

23 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

ERADICATION OF SEEMAI KARUVELAM TREES Seemai Karuvelam Tree:

1. Prosopsisjuliflora, fabaceae family 2. A shrub or small tree. 3. Native to Mexico, south America and the Caribbean 4. Has become an invasive weed in several countries where it was

introduced. 5. Brought to Tamil Nadu in 1960s as fuelwood.

Disadvantages:

1. One of top invasive plants, has created negative biodiversity 2. Roots reach greater depths, leading to decline in water table. 3. Hard and expensive to remove as the plant can regenerate from the

roots. Why HC asking government to destroy thousands of trees?

• It was brought to TN in 1960s as fuelwood, slowly seeds started drifting into dams and rivers, causing problems.

• It is such that no other species can co-exist with it. • Had already caused drying up of several water bodies in the state,

adding to the sorrows of the water-starved state. • It absorbs more than 4 litres of water to obtain 1 kg of biomass. • Can’t even shelter birds as it produces less oxygen and more carbon

dioxide. • If it does not have sufficient water it begins absorbing groundwater, if

no groundwater it starts absorbing humidity from the surroundings – leading to decline in water table.

• These seeds have been making inroads into government land like irrigation tanks. They should be uprooted instead of being cut or cleared, since they have the tendency to grow back faster.

24 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

ELECTORAL REFORMS First such major effort for electoral reforms was made in 1971, when a Joint Parliamentary Committee, on Amendments to Election Law was appointed under the chairmanship of Jagannath Rao, which submitted its report in 1972. In 1974, Jayaprakash Narayan as president of the Citizens for Democracy (CFD) set up a committee under the chairmanship of Justice V.M. Tarkunde for electoral reforms. This committee popularly known as Tarkunde committee was asked to suggest measures to combat among other things the various forms of corrupt practice like the use of money and muscle power, misuse of official machinery and the disparity between the votes polled and the number of seats won, etc. Tarkunde committee submitted its report in February 1975. On the basis of this report, J.P. launched the people’s movement against corruption and for electoral reforms and presented the People’s Charter to the presiding officers of both Houses of Parliament on March 6, 1975. Urging the Parliament and assemblies to be more responsive to popular aspirations, the charter demanded that the unanimous recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Electroral Reforms be implemented without delay. The National Front government under V.P. Singh in January 1990 formed another committee on electoral reforms headed by the then Law Minister Dinesh Goswami. On the basis of the proposals therein, the government introduced four bills in the parliament to give effect to its recommendations. But this government also fell before these bills could be enacted.

25 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

The Narasimha Rao government convened a special session of the Parliament to get two bills; the Constitution Eighty-Third Amendment Bill 1994 and the Representation of the People Second Amendment Bill, 1994, passed. However, the bills were withdrawn before introduction. The United Front coalition government succeeded in getting the Representation of the people Second Amendment Act enacted in July 1996. The important provisions of the act are as follows: Candidates will not be allowed to contest more than two seats at a time. Non-serious candidates will be deterred from contesting parliamentary and assembly elections through a ten-fold increase in the security deposit from Rs. 500 to Rs. 5000. Elections will not be countermanded because of the death of a candidate. In the case of a candidate of a recognised political party, the party will have the authority to nominate a replacement within seven days. No such replacement will be allowed in the case of an independent. The campaign period is reduced from 21 days to 14 days. The reforms though minimal to begin with can pave the way for more through comprehensive overhauling of the electoral machinery and process. The following measures can be suggested for electoral reform. Change in the Electoral System L.K. Advani and C.P. Bhambhri advocated proportional representation way back in 1970; the Tarkunde committee recommended a variant of the German system in 1975. Former CECs S.L. Shakdhar and L.P. Singh have argued for a combined system of voting in which 50 percent of the seats in the Lok Sabha and State assemblies would be filled by direct voting and the remaining on the basis of proportional representation.

26 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

Tarkunde committee had also suggested combining the present Indian system with a German list system. Restructuring the Election Commission One of the basic proposals of those advocating electoral reforms since long had been that of making Election Commission a multi-member body. The Tarkunde and Goswami committees advocated three members EC. Most of the CECs have opposed it on the ground that quick decisions are sometimes required in electoral matters, which may be impeded by multi-member commission. With the 1993 Constitution Amendment Act and the 1995 Supreme Court judgement, multi-member commission has become an accomplished fact. However, the manner in which the ECs are appointed and the provision of majority decision under Art, 324A raise the suspicion that the executive may appoint as many Ecs as would constitute a majority and would this control the commission’s decision. A statutory requirement of consulting the Chief Justice of India and the leader of the opposition prior to the appointment of the CEC and ECs can ensure a non-partisan character of the EC. Eradicating the evil influences of money and Muscle power To check the increasing influence and vulgar show of money, law should fix reasonable ceiling on election expenses and strict compliance of such law should be enforced as was done during T.N. Sheshan’s tenure as the CEC. State funding of election, which has been recommended by all the committees on electoral reforms, should be introduced to curb the menace of money in elections.

27 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

To prevent growing criminalisation and violence there is an urgent need to implement the EC’s proposal of keeping out persons with proven criminal records from electoral context. Model code of conduct should be enforced strictly. Gradually, ways and means must be found to implement the voters’ right to recall as well as the right to reject candidates. The electoral process cannot be cleansed merely by legal measures. The electoral process is influenced and determined by the political culture of the political system, which cannot be reformed by legislative acts. The enlightened citizens who are prepared to uphold political norms and punish those who violates them can be an effective instrument for clean electoral politics. Bolstering the intermediary political and civic institutions, whose collapse has accelerated electoral malpractices, can also be effective in removing the ills of electoral process. However, the strong political will and people’s initiative is needed to get rid the electoral of from several defects from which is suffering. Note: For Electoral Reforms Refer Book - Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth

28 | Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

APPOLO STUDY CENTRE No.25, Nandhi Loop Street,

West C.I.T. Nagar, Chennai – 600 035 Near T.Nagar Bus Stand,

Landmark: Nandhi Statue Ph: 24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

E-mail: appolotnpsc@gmail.com

Website: www.appolosupport.com

www.appolotraining.com