Current Affairs 4th november 2015

• Maharashtra Government approves APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Yojna

Maharashtra Government has approved APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Yojna scheme to provide one full hot cooked nutritious food to pregnant, lactating women in the tribal areas.

It was approved by the state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai.

About APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Yojna

• Objective: To curb malnutrition among tribal children by providing nutrition to pregnant women for 6 months when the child’s growth is at its peak.
• The scheme is an initiative of Tribal Development department of state government.
• Implementation: Anganwadis falling under Women and Child Welfare Department in 16 districts of states having tribal population will implement it.
• Scheme Plan: To provide one full hot cooked nutritious food to every pregnant (in third trimester) and lactating mother (first three months post-delivery) in tribal areas.
• Meal: The nutritious meal would be served at the anganwadi centre as per the convenience of the beneficiaries. It will include pulses, fruits, vegetables, rice and boiled eggs and milk on few occasions.

The scheme will replace the earlier ‘Take Home Ration‘ scheme which provided packets of sheera or upma to lactating or expectant mothers in tribal areas of state.

• Impose AFSPA in Garo Hills: Meghalaya High Court

Meghalaya High Court has asked Central Government to enforce Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 in militancy-hit Garo Hills region of the state.

The order was issued by a full 3 bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh, Justice T N K Singh and Justice S R Sen while hearing on pending cases of militants calling bandhs in the state.

The Court observed that

• Central government can enforce AFSPA in Garo Hills region in order to deploy armed forces to aid of civil administration to restore public order and maintain the law and order.
• The imposition of AFSPA would be only for the purpose of enabling the civil authorities in the state to effectively deal with militancy so that there is a regime of rule of law.

Background

• Recently the Meghalaya state is witnessing a rise in number of militancy incidents in the region especially in Garo Hills including abduction of a Megahalya Government Officials by Garo National Liberation Army militants.
• Though in past decade the insurgency was more or less contained in the state, but in last 2 years there has been a rise in the number of violence as several dormant insurgent groups in state started resurfacing.

About Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958

• Empowers armed forces to deal effectively in ‘Disturbed Areas’ declared by both state and Central government.
• Parliament had enacted it in 1958 to provide special legal security to the armed forces for carrying out operations in the troubled areas of 7 sisters states of North east.
• The act was extended to Jammu and Kashmir in 1990 in order to confront the rising insurgency in the area.
• The act provides army officers and jawans legal immunity for their actions undertaken disturbed areas.

• UNGA Disarmament Committee adopts draft resolution backing abolition of nuclear arms

United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) Disarmament Committee or First Committee has adopted a draft resolution calling for the abolition of nuclear arms.

The resolution was submitted by Japan and was adopted by 156 member countries, while 17 abstaining and 3 voting against it including China and Russia.

But it failed to secure endorsement US, Britain, France and other key powers as they abstained from voting despite supporting it.

Features of Resolution

• Stresses the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and urges nuclear powers to be more transparent in their disarmament efforts.
• Calls for efforts to raise awareness of the humanitarian impact of the use of nuclear weapons.
• Asks world leaders to visit the two Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which were devastated by the nuclear attacks.

Since 1994, Japan has been spearheading efforts UNGA Disarmament Committee to introduce resolutions on nuclear arms every year.

The UNGA Disarmament Committee or First Committee deals with disarmament, threats to peace and global challenges that affect the international community. It seeks out solutions to the challenges in the international security regime.

• Pakistani Cricketer Shoaib Malik announces retirement from Test Cricket

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik announced his retirement from Test cricket and now will play only in the One-Day International (ODI).

He made this announcement after finishing Test match against England in Sharjah, UAE after he had made a comeback in Test format after five years of gap.

Cricket Career

• Shoaib Malik had made his ODI debut in 1999 against the West Indies and his Test debut was against Bangladesh in 2001.
• In his career, Malik had played 35 Tests matches and scored 1,898 runs. It comprised of three centuries and eight half-centuries.
• He had taken 29 wickets in his Tests career and his best was of 4-33 against England in October 2015.
• His bowling action also had come under scrutiny and was banned for one-year ban from international cricket in March 2010.
• Malik is married to Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza since 2010.

• Daughters cannot inherit ancestral property if father died before 2005: SC

Supreme Court has ruled that a daughter’s right to ancestral property does not arise if the father died before Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005came into force in 2005.

This judgement invalidating retrospective effect of Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 was given by a SC bench comprising of Justices Anil R Dave and Adarsh K Goel.

SC ruled that

• The date of a daughter becoming co-parcener in to ancestral property will be valid on and from the commencement of the amendment Act.
• Daughter can become a co-sharer with her male siblings if father was alive on 9th of September, 2005 i.e. date on which act came into force.

The landmark Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 was passed to amend the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 in order to give daughters equal inheritance rights in ancestral property along with her male siblings.

Prior to enactment of this act, women were just able to only able to ask for sustenance from a joint Hindu family and could not ask for a share in the property.

• Actor and Oscar-winning writer Colin Welland passes away

Oscar-winning British writer and actor Colin Welland passed away at the age of 81. He was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for several years.

Welland had won an Academy Award (Oscar) for best original screenplay in 1982 for Chariots of Fire.

About Colin Welland

• He was born on 4 July 1934 in Lancashire, United Kingdom.
• Prior to his acting career, he had worked as a teacher and taught art at Manchester Road Secondary Modern School in Leigh.
• As an actor, Welland had appeared in the BBC Television series Z-Cars, Kes (1969), as a schoolteacher (of English).
• His screenwriting credits include the film Yanks (1979) which has been was directed by John Schlesinger and Twice in a Lifetime (1985).
• Awards: As an actor, he has won a BAFTA award in 1969 for playing the sympathetic English teacher Mr Farthing in Ken Loach’s Kes.