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Professionalism & Excellence in Police Service to Be Awarded

Police Medals to promote professionalism and excellence in service have been instituted on Wednesday July 11, 2018 by the Union Home Minister give recognition to those security personnel doing good work in stressful environment and in difficult areas. The awards scheme by the Government is aimed at recognising the good work, boosting morale and inspiring the Security personnel. These five non-cash awards which will supplement and strengthen the existing award schemes in the State Police Forces and Central Police Organizations and Armed Forces, are as follows:

  1. Union Home Minister’s Special Operation Medal: A scroll signed by the Union Home Minister along with the medal to be awarded to police or security personnel of the Central/State forces for participation in the successful conduct of operations of a significant nature or scale, having direct bearing or impact on the security of the State/UT, region or country, or for participation in major rescue operations.
  2. Police Antarik Suraksha Seva Padak: A medal to be awarded to each police or security personnel of the Central or State forces for every two years of duty in Jammu & Kashmir, North-East and Left-Wing Extremism affected districts of the country, to recognize the importance of Internal Security duties in such areas. Currently, the medal is awarded only once irrespective of the number of tenures served in these areas.

III. Asadharan Aasuchana Kushalata Padak: A scroll signed by the Union Home Minister along with medal to be awarded to members of Central or State intelligence organizations, branches or units engaged in intelligence gathering for combating terrorism, militancy, insurgency and for acts of exceptional courage and skill in intelligence gathering.

  1. Utkrisht and Ati Utkrisht Seva Medals:The medal will be awarded to police, security personnel and support staff such as Home Guards working in State Police Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, Central Police Organisations, Assam Rifles, National Security Guards, National Disaster Response Force, Home Guards and intelligence organizations. The number of Utkrisht and Ati Utkrisht Seva Medals in any year shall, in no case exceed 1% and 0.5% respectively of the sanctioned strength of the police force or security agency.
  • Utkrisht Medal will recognize the unblemished service with professional excellence in the past 15 years and
  • Ati Utkrisht Medal will recognize the unblemished service with professional excellence in the past 25 years
  1. Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation:This medal will be awarded to officers in Central investigation agencies, State/UT police force investigating agencies in recognition of their outstanding service in investigation. A scroll signed by the Union Home Minister will be awarded to each awardee along with the medal.
  • All the above medals to be awarded each year by the Central or State police force/ organizations on the days fixed by them will be minted and supplied by the Union Home Ministry.
  • A selection committee in every State/Central police force/organization will identify the awardees every year.
  • In case of the Special Operation Medal, Asadharan Aasuchana Medal and Investigation Medal, the names will be finalized by the Ministry of Home Affairs based on recommendations made by States/UTs and Central police organizations.

About 30 lakh police and security personnel are deployed by the State Governments, UT Administrations and the Central Government throughout the country, in wide ranging duties, which include maintaining peace and public order, investigating crime, regulating traffic, securing vital installations and serving in disturbed areas and at remote locations at the border. They often serve in difficult and challenging conditions.

Centre and State Governments have been taking various steps to improve the efficiency and service delivery of police and security personnel through modernization, training, capacity building, better service conditions such as housing and welfare measures. The awards scheme by the Government is aimed at recognizing the good work, boosting morale and inspiring the Security personnel.

Deep Ocean Mission to Explore Deep Recesses of Ocean

Deep Ocean Mission has been planned to explore the deep recesses of the ocean and its blueprint has been unveiled on Friday July 27, 2018 with a five-year ₹8000 crore plan in which Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India is tasked with coordinating the exercise and proposal has been submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office. This will improve India’s position in ocean research field. An Offshore Desalination Plant that will work with tidal energy; Deep Ocean Energy; Deep Sea Science and Fisheries; Minerals and Poly-metallic Nodules; and developing a Submersible Vehicle that can go to a depth of at least 6000 meters with three people on board are the major components of the mission. The focus will be on technologies for deep-sea mining, underwater vehicles, and underwater robotics and ocean climate change advisory services, among other aspects.

Based on the resource evaluation, India has been allotted a site of 75,000 square kilometres with an estimated resource of about 100 million tons of strategic metals such as Copper, Nickel, and Cobalt besides Manganese and Iron; in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by the UN International Sea Bed Authority for exploitation of poly-metallic nodules (PMN). Poly-metallic nodules, also called manganese nodules, are rock concretions on the sea bottom formed of concentric layers of iron and manganese hydroxides around a core.

  • A First Generation Mine-site (FGM) with an area of 18,000 sq km has been identified.
  • Latest technologies for extraction of metals from the minerals have also been developed under the programme.
  • India’s Exclusive Economic Zone spreads over 2.2 million square kilometres and in the deep sea, lies unexplored and unutilised.
  • An estimated that 380 million metric tonnes of poly-metallic nodules are available at the bottom of the seas in the Central Indian Ocean.
  • Detailed environmental data has been collected for compliance with International Seabed Authorities requirements.
  • Besides identifying the mineral resource and developing technologies for mining and extraction, the programme has also resulted in high impact research as well as manpower development.
  • It is envisaged that 10% of recovery of that large reserve can meet the energy requirement of India for the next 100 years.
  • Programme on Poly metallic nodules was initiated at CSIR-NIO with the collection of the first nodule sample from Arabian Sea on board the first Research Vessel Gaveshani on 26 January 1981.
  • India was the first country in the world to have been given the Pioneer Area for exploration of deep-sea mineral viz. Poly-metallic nodules in the Central Indian Ocean Basin in 1987.
  • This was based on the extensive surveys carried out by the scientists of CSIR-NIO, on several research ships leading to the allocation of an area of 150,000 sq km to the country with exclusive rights under the UN Law of the sea.

5 Simple Tips for Getting a Government Job

Many people are clear about their job preferences; they endeavor to be oriented more about their specific job needs in their preferred domain of work. Likewise, some people only try to get into a government job because they consider it as one of the career preferences which gives huge job security for a lifetime. As a result, such people seek to get into a job in government sector; it doesn’t mean what post they desire to work in. But the only thing that matters is that they want to work in the government sector.

There are various methods which can be utilized for the sake of getting a government job. And they are as follows:

Choose your field

There’s a place for everyone in the government sectors from clerks to manager, and from archaeologists to   scientists. The initial step, therefore, is to select the domain that suits you best. This selection must be according to your qualifications and interests. Most government jobs require a minimum educational qualification, so make sure you apply for the jobs for which you are appropriately qualified.

Keep a lookout for notifications

Government recruitments are frequently announced through websites, newspaper and magazines, so keep an eye on them as the best approach. You can also subscribe for the notification for government jobs in diverse portals.  Keep checking frequently the sources, so that you do not miss the best opportunity. Missing an opportunity or application form usually means the delay for one year or more until the new applications are initiated.

Fill the application carefully

Application submission for government jobs mainly needs applicants to fill a prescribed application form. Fill in your application carefully as a slight mistake could cause your application to be rejected. You can look for the assistance of someone who has had experience in filling the applications.

Prepare Systematically

Systematic preparation is needed to crack exams for the government jobs. So make your efforts in that direction to achieve the best results.  There are books available for all types of competitive exams! Buy such books and prepare systematically.

Have Patience

This characteristic is a must for aspirants! As in government jobs, a candidate must have patience and calmness to crack the exams and interview.

Magsaysay Award to Community-Driven Reformer of Learning

Sonam Wangchuk Ladakhi engineer and innovator from India Is one amongst six individuals who will receive Asia’s premier prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2018 in the 60th year of an annual tradition, the Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) announced on Thursday July 26, 2018.

Ramon Magsaysay Award – established in 1957, is Asia’s highest honour. It celebrates the memory and leadership example of the third Philippine president after whom the award is named, and is given every year to individuals or organizations in Asia who manifest the same selfless service and transformative influence that ruled the life of the late and beloved Filipino leader.

Magsaysay awardees 2018: Youk Chhang from Cambodia, Maria de Lourdes Martins Cruz from East Timor, Howard Dee, from the Philippines, Bharat Vatwani from India, Vo Thi Hoang Yen from Vietnam and Sonam Wangchuk from India;  will now be part of the community of 324 other Magsaysay laureates who have received Asia’s highest honour to date. Magsaysay Award winners of 2018 will be formally conferred the Magsaysay Award during formal Presentation Ceremonies to be held on Friday, 31 August 2018 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Each of the 6 awardees will receive a certificate, a medallion bearing the likeness of the late President, and a cash prize.

Sonam Wangchuk, a 51-year-old educational reformer and real-life innovator has taken on both manmade and natural challenges over three decades to improve life in Ladakh.  widely regarded as the inspiration for Aamir Khan’s character, Phunsuk Wangdu in the film ‘3 Idiots’ in 2009, is being recognized for “his uniquely systematic, collaborative and community-driven reform of learning systems in remote northern India, thus improving the life opportunities of Ladakhi youth, and his constructive engagement of all sectors in local society to harness science and culture creatively for economic progress, thus setting an example for minority peoples in the world”, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation said in its citation.

  • Wangchuk was a 19-year-old engineering student at the National Institute of Technology in Srinagar, when he took up tutoring.
  • He helped unprepared students pass the national college matriculation exams.
  • Wangchuk is the founding director of the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement (SECMOL) of Ladakh that was founded in 1988 to coach Ladakhi students, 95% of whom used to fail the government exams.
  • SECMOL experimented with syllabus focusing on local knowledge for answers to the challenges posed by the difficult terrain, by doing away with “alien knowledge”, and with each passing year, SECMOL’s results were there for all to see.
  • Wangchuk said, “We need to have confidence in ourselves. It should be us who do it. We don’t need New York or London to give us answers”.
  • SECMOL campus designed by Wangchuk runs entirely on solar energy.
  • Wangchuk in the lead launched  in 1994: Operation New Hope to consolidate the programme .
  • Wangchuk invented in 2013 the Ice Stupa technique that helps create an artificial glacier for the purpose of storing water in winter to meet the demand for water in Ladakh..
  • Wangchuk is currently setting up the Rs. 150 crore Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL), Ladakh in the Phyang Valley, 14 km from Leh.

Wangchuk is hopeful that the Magsaysay Award “will provide youth a boost in finding indigenous solutions to the problems of mountain people.” “I don’t feel I deserve it alone as an individual. It belongs to every student, every teacher, every leader and every dreamer in Ladakh”. Magsaysay Award to Wangchuk is the:

  • Acknowledgement of innovation by a minority in a challenging atmosphere, and of the adversity of the mountains.
  • Acknowledgement of the courage to find solutions to those problems rather than cursing them or planning to migrate or running away from them.
  • Recognition of the spirit of taking on the challenges and innovating to address the problems.

ISRO’s Launch Vehicles Get High Thrust Spacecraft Lifting Power

High Thrust Version of Vikas Engine that successfully qualified through a ground test for duration of 195 seconds (over three minutes) on Sunday July 15, 2018 at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri, Tamilnadu will add muscle to spacecraft lifting power of all the three satellite launch vehicles of ISRO. Vikas Engine is the workhorse liquid rocket engine powering second stage of India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), second stage and four strap on stages of Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and twin engine core liquid stage (L110) of GSLV Mk-III.

All propulsion parameters during the tests were found satisfactory and closely matched predictions. This ground test has validated performance adequacy of the Vikas Engine for its use in upcoming second developmental flight of GSLV Mk-III. This engine will improve payload capability of PSLV, GSLV and GSLV Mk-III launch vehicles.

Vikas Engine, is named after Vikram Ambalai Sarabhai (12 August 1919 – 30 December 1971), an Indian scientist and innovator widely regarded as the father of India’s space programme. Sarabhai received Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Medai in 1962, was awarded Padam Bhushan in 1966 and Padam Vibhushan (posthumously) in 1972.

  • Vikas engine is a family of liquid fuelled rocket engines conceptualized and designed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre in the 1970s.
  • Vikas engine’s design was based on licensed version of the Viking engine with chemical pressurisation system.
  • Vikas engines used some imported French components in early production, which were later replaced by domestically produced equivalents.
  • Vikas engine is used to power second stage PSLV, boosters and second stage of GSLV Mark I and II and first stage of GSLV Mark III.
  • Vikas engine’s propellant loading in PSLV, GSLV Mark I and II is 40 tons, while in GSLV Mark III it is 55 tons.
  • Vikas engine uses UDMH (Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine) and Nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) as oxidizer with a maximum thrust of 725 kN.
  • High Thrust Version of Vikas Engine has a chamber pressure of 58.5 bar as compared to 52.5 bar in the older version and produces a thrust of 800 kN.
  • This engine is capable of gimballing. A gimbalis a pivoted support that allows rotation of an object about a single axis.

High Thrust Version of Vikas Engine’s main beneficiary is said to be the heavy-lifting GSLV-Mark III launcher, which ISRO expects will now put 4000 kg satellites to space. This would be the third Mk-III and first working one to be designated MkIII Mission-1 or M1.

GSLV Mk III-D1 launched first developmental flight, carrying 3136 kg GSAT-19 satellite to a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) on Monday, June 05, 2017 from the Second Launch Pad (SLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota. The vehicle is configured with a 5 m ogive payload fairing and slanted strap-on nose cone to provide aerodynamic robustness.GSLV-Mk III is capable launching 4 ton class of satellites to Geosynchronous Transfer orbit (GTO). It is a three-stage vehicle with two solid motor strap-ons (S200), a liquid propellant core stage (L110) and a cryogenic stage (C25).

GSLV-F08/GSAT-6A Mission: GSLV-F08 was the12th flight of GSLV and 6th flight with indigenous Cryogenic Stage. The Launch of GSLV-F08 carrying GSAT-6A took place from the Second Launch Pad (SLP) in Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota on Thursday, March 29, 2018 at 16:56 Hrs.

GSLV-MkIII-D2/GSAT-29 Mission: using the High Thrust Vikas Engine is scheduled to be launched during the second half of 2018. GSAT-29 is configured around ISRO’s Enhanced I-3K Bus and will be the payload for second developmental flight of GSLV-MkIII. It carries Ka x Ku multi-beam and optical communication payloads for the first time. The mission targets for Village Resource Centres (VRC) in rural areas to bridge the digital divide.

India’s Growth will be driven by the Spirit of: “Anything is possible! Everything is achievable”

“We are future-proofing India in every way, enabling New India to take off,” as India’s 125 crore people have knocked at the world scene and today nation is passing through a period of transformation, asserted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing Y4D New India Conclave at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on July 16, 2018. Gone are the days when India was considered to be among the ‘Fragile Five’, India is today the fastest growing economy in the world as per an international report and poverty is declining in India at a record pace. Powered by the 125 Crore people of India, we will grow even faster. While the Government can only play the role of an enabler, it is the youth, who are not only making use of available opportunities, but also creating new ones themselves. Young India feels, “Anything is possible! Everything is achievable” “This spirit will drive India’s growth.”

New India Conclave is one of the largest nongovernment outreach programme by Y4D Foundation, which is focused on rural India and rural youth. It is a platform for rural youth to share their aspirations, Ideas and experience with National and state leadership, policymakers, thought leaders, corporates, social activist, and philanthropist. Mission statement of Y4D is “Empowering the Underprivileged’’ and the group works with 3E formula: Encourage, Educate and Employ to empower the underprivileged.

Prime Minister addressing the conclave said that the energy and courage of youth had played an important role in the country’s freedom struggle and that the same role would be played by the youth of today’s generation for New India. “New India is that land where you make your name; your name does not make you, where your ideas matter, not your influence.”

  • Youth are driving the growth in digital payments.
  • India needs a clean economy and increased digital payments and innovations like BHIM App are taking us there.
  • New India 2022 is related to hundreds of millions of Indians, but its base is Young India.
  • New India is a place where processes drive progress, instead of people influencing processes.
  • We bring more FDI; we create more industries in India.
  • We create more industries, we create more employment opportunities.
  • We create more employment opportunities, we empower the youth to improve their future.
  • When future of every citizen improves, the future of India and stature of India in the world improves.
  • Skill India is there, as India needs more skilled manpower.
  • i-ways are there to connect Indian villages, as we have laid 2.7 lakh km of optical fiber network connecting more than a lakh Gram Panchayats.
  • GST is there as India needs a unified and simplified tax structure; a record number of people are coming forward to pay taxes.
  • UDAN is to get even the poor to fly as India needs to unlock the power of air travel.
  • Bharatmala is building thousands of kilometres of roads as India needs great road infrastructure. 1.75 lakh kilometres of rural roads have been built by young labourers and workers in the last 4 years.
  • Sagarmala is helping build infrastructure for port-led development.
  • JAM trinity got India to go digital in public service delivery.
  • More than 1 crore homes have built for the poor in the last 4 years by young engineers, masons and labourers.
  • More than 3 crores children have been vaccinated by young doctors, nurses, support staff and volunteers thus, boosting the health of India’s future.
  • India is doing big, transformative things just like the aspirations and power of the youth.
  • Hima Das, and other youngsters like her who are bringing home sporting medals, represent New India.
  • This is not India but a New India “where the power of hope prevails over mindless hate” and “125 crore Indians write their own destiny”.

Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu, while addressing the gathering after inaugurating the New India Conclave on July 16, 2018 said that agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy, and encouraged farmers to take up allied activities like poultry, horticulture to improve income. He stressed on the need to bridge urban-rural divide at the earliest so that India’s progress towards becoming the third largest economy in the world in the next 10-15 years is not hampered. The rural areas have to become thriving hubs of economic activities with the agriculture playing an important role in the overall prosperity of the rural people

The Vice President called on the youth to be in the forefront of freeing India from the clutches of poverty, illiteracy and other social evils like gender and caste discrimination, particularly in the rural areas. Youth of our country need to acquire the right mix of knowledge, skills and attitudes required to overcome the 21st century challenges and reap the demographic dividend for the country’s growth and development.

The Vice President said that he would like the youth to focus on the following areas to realise the dream of New India:

  • Education
  • Vocation Education/ Skill development
  • Research and development
  • Technology Usage
  • Entrepreneurial spirit
  • Promotion of Indigenous crafts
  • Fostering Peace
  • Social responsibility
  • Women empowerment

POSHAN to address Malnutrition through Technological Convergence

POSHAN (PM’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment) Abhiyaan, the National Nutrition Mission to address Malnutrition through Convergence, Use of Technology and a Targeted approach, to 315 Districts across all States and UTs, launched by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi at Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan on March 08, 2018 on the occasion of International Women’s Day, had been approved by the Union Cabinet on November 30, 2017 with a three year budget of Rs.9046.17 crore commencing from 2017-18. Government of India has signed a loan deal worth $ 200 million with the World Bank on May 7, 2018 that will support the first phase scale up to 315 districts for the POSHAN Abhiyaan and would help in achieving India’s goal of reducing stunting in children 0-6 years of age from 38.4% to 25% by the year 2022. A large component of POSHAN Abhiyaan involves gradual scaling-up of the interventions supported by the ongoing World Bank assisted Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Systems Strengthening and Nutrition Improvement Project (ISSNIP) to all districts in the country over a 3-year period.

  • POSHAN Abhiyaan will focus on improving the coverage and quality of ICDS nutrition services to pregnant and lactating women and children under 3 years of age,
  • Will include investments in improving the skills and capacities of ICDS staff and community nutrition workers,
  • Institute mechanisms of community mobilization and behavior change communication,
  • Strengthen systems of citizen engagement and grievance redress
  • Establish mobile technology based tools for improved monitoring and management of services for better outreach to beneficiaries during the critical 1,000 day window for nutrition impact.
  • Ensure convergence of all nutrition related schemes and provide performance based incentives to states and community nutrition and health workers, facilitating a focus on results.
  • POSHAN Abhiyaan through the targets will strive to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition, anemia and low birth weight babies.
  • It will create synergy, ensure better monitoring, issue alerts for timely action, and encourage States/UTs to perform, guide and supervise the line Ministries and States/UTs to achieve the targeted goals.
  • More than 10 crore people will be benefitted by this programme.
  • All the States and districts will be covered in a phased manner i.e. 315 districts in 2017-18, 235 districts in 2018-19 and remaining districts in 2019-20
  • Swasth Bharat Preraks would function as catalyst for fast tracking the implementation of Poshan Abhiyaan.
  • Five e-ILA (e-Incremental Learning Approach) courses and two ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) software modules have been launched on March 20, 2018 for POSHAN Abhiyaan by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
  • e-ILA is an online system where programme functionaries will become more effective by learning to plan and execute each task correctly and consistently through methodical and ongoing capacity building.
  • ECCE module is to guide trainers to train Anganwadi Workers so that they are able to plan and conduct appropriate ECE activities.

Best Way to Enhance Your Problem Solving Abilities

Mathematical aptitude tests evaluate your capability to make significant summary of large amount of data by means of mathematics or algebraic expressions rather than evaluating knowledge to work out percentages, ratios counts or related numerical operations. Therefore, the corner stone of such assessments is to evaluate your aptitude solving abilities rather than intense knowledge of mathematics. Some of the ideas to upgrade your problem solving capabilities or aptitude for arithmetical reasoning tests are as under:

Practice reasoning test questions

To enhance your problem-solving knowledge, it is important that you practice answering the sort of questions that are probable to emerge in your competitive exams. When you go through your practice materials do not just estimate the answer but slightly think about the answer and try to arrive at the right answer yourself. Ensure that you analyze the logic and relevant concepts to dig out the solution to the problem. Once you attain an understanding of such challenge, practice the thought on related sets of questions and see if you can work them out quickly.

Practice multiple-step solutions

In order to move ahead in your aptitude skills, you are required to have usual experience to the kinds of questions that cannot be solved simply by applying single mathematics formulae; but you are required to be tackle with the set of challenges that require you to solve diverse-steps, where you have to get through various levels of calculations or mental computations to get to the final answer.

Improve in your weak areas

To get ahead in your preparation you need books meant for the competitive exams to analyze any deficiency in your knowledge, mental arithmetic and problem-solving. Any weakness in any of these categories may impact on your capability to solve the questions and eventually lower your score.

Hence, to enhance your performance you are required to attain, strengthen and acquire mental arithmetical and problem solving skills and work through the sort of exam papers that may come in your official numerical aptitude exam. And if you analyze any weak point within yourself, try some books on aptitude so that you can solve the issues. Just be calm and prepare for the exam with strong aptitude and problem solving skills.

Delhi as the National Capital Belongs to the Nation as a Whole

National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi has a “special status” and is not a “full state” and neither just a Union Territory. After Constitution 69th Amendment Act, 1991 came into force, followed by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act, 1991 the Union territory of Delhi officially became the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Delhi has an entire article dedicated to it: 239AA (special provisions with respect to Delhi) and 239AB (provision in case of failure of constitutional machinery), which sets up a complicated legal structure defining how governance is to be carried out in Delhi.

This legal structure envisages two constitutional authorities:

  • The elected Chief Minister of Delhi, at the head of the Council of Ministers, which has the power to formulate laws on all matters mentioned in the State and Concurrent Lists of Seventh Schedule, except matters pertaining to: Police, Law and order, Municipal services, Land and Jurisdiction of courts.
  • Lieutenant Governor (LG), appointee of the Central Government, governs the matters which are not prerogative of the Government of Delhi and these are :
    • Police,
    • Law and order,
    • Municipal services like water, drainage, electricity, transport etc.
    • Land
    • Jurisdiction of courts
  • LG is supposed to act on the aid and advice of the Chief Minister and his council of Ministers. In the case of conflict between the two, the matter is to be laid before the President of India.
  • Central government handles a variety of issues across a number of departments.
  • Municipal corporations of East, North and South, and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Delhi Cantonment Board and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) also handle matters assigned to them
  • An order issued by the Union Home Ministry in May 2015 ruled that LG would have complete control over the Department of Services, which decides the appointments and transfers of all officers of the Delhi government, including Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers.

The demand for full statehood for Delhi has been around for many years now, but after the Aam Aadmi Party came to power the constitutional tussle between the two tiers of government has become an acrimonious battle between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and LG of Delhi Anil Baijal (and his predecessor Najeeb Jung) representative of the Centre.

Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra adhered to the nine-judge Bench judgment of the Supreme Court in the NDMC versus State of Punjab to conclude that Delhi is not a ‘State’, while delivering a verdict on Wednesday July 4, 2018, in NCT of Delhi v Union of India: “Working a Democratic Constitution”.

Justice Chandrachud, one of the five-judges of the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in the above NCT of Delhi v Union of India case observed, agreeing with the CJI that a “mixed balance” has to be struck considering the special status of the Delhi and “fundamental concerns” as Delhi is the National Capital.

  • CJI in his leading opinion for the Bench, reproduced excerpts from the 1987 Balakrishnan report, which said, “Delhi as the national capital belongs to the nation as a whole.”
  • That Control of the Union over Delhi is vital in the national interest ’‘Lieutenant-Governor has free hand in judicial, quasi-judicial functions’‘
  • Administrator has to be more active than the Governor of a State.
  • The report had envisaged that Delhi could not have a situation in which the national capital had “two governments run by different political parties.
  • Such conflicts may, at times, prejudice the national interest.”
  • The report foresaw that if Delhi becomes a full-fledged State, there would be a constitutional division of sovereign, legislative and executive powers between the Union and the State of Delhi.
  • Parliament would have limited legislative access and that too only in special and emergency situations.
  • The Union would be unable to discharge its “special responsibilities in relation to the national capital as well as to the nation itself”.
  • The report said the LG’s role was not that of a Constitutional figurehead, though the ultimate responsibility for good administration of Delhi was vested in the President acting through the Administrator.
  • However, the Administrator had to take a somewhat more active part in the administration than the Governor of a State.
  • Hence, differences of opinion would arise between the LG and the elected government.
  • The report had recommended that the “best way” of doing this is to let the LG refer such differences of opinion to the President for a final decision.

Delhi has not been given the status of a full State despite persistent demands due to the most intractable issue of problem of having two governments in the same City-State. In the constitutional scheme, law and order, security and land are State subjects. No Central government can afford to leave these critical issues to someone else in a city from which it is also functioning.

  • The issue involves safety of many entities organically linked to it, especially the Embassies which are protected by treaties and conventions and are given immunity in various respects.
  • The issue of security of the visiting heads of states and other dignitaries. This is a major responsibility of the Centre and cannot be given to another entity.
  • Security involves the Central government and its personnel as well as various subordinate organisations like the Central police forces, offices of agencies like the Union Public Service Commission, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and the Central Vigilance Commission.
  • Security to the Supreme Court and its judges.
  • Two Houses of Parliament and MPs also look to the Central government for security.
  • Red Fort, where the Prime Minister takes the Independence Day salute, and
  • Palam, where most of the foreign dignitaries land.

Then there are the Administrative problems, which will be difficult to resolve. The most important one is of policing and law and order, such as to stop processions going to Parliament or to the Prime Minister’s house. It will have to be done outside the jurisdiction of NCT of Delhi, otherwise that will create numerous problems of coordination. So will other problems of division of water, power, and of drainage and roads.  As such Delhi will have to remain as it is.

Mahathir Mohamad is Malaysia’s Prime Minister again & is the Oldest Elected Leader in the World

Mahathir Mohamad, who ruled Malaysia with an iron fist from 1981 to 2003 and now, with a second innings at the age of 92, the oldest elected leader in the world, was sworn in as Prime Minister at about 9:50 p.m. on Thursday May 9, 2018 by Malaysia’s constitutional ruler, King Muhammad V, following a momentous vote in which scandal-plagued incumbent Najib Razak was soundly beaten at the polls by his former mentor. His opposition won a simple majority in the Malaysian Parliament with 112 seats to the ruling party’s 76 seats, the first change of government in 61 years since independence from the British in 1957.

  • Dr Mahathir Mohamad was one of the first members of the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) which was formed to seek independence from Britain.
  • He stood for parliament in 1964, lost his seat five years later, and was expelled from the UMNO after criticising Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, Abdul Rahman, following Malay-Chinese race riots.
  • He re-joined the party in the early 1970s and became leader in 1981.
  • Mahathir ruled Malaysia for 22 years which made him the country’s longest-serving Prime Minister.
  • He was credited with modernising Malaysia during his time as leader and the economy boomed during the 1990s.
  • Kuala Lumpur’s ‘Petronas Twin Towers’ development was inspired by his vision to be a global player.
  • Mahathir was also known for his heavy-handed approach, which saw opponents imprisoned and courts subjugated.
  • Most famously, he fell out with his deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, during the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and sacked him in 1998.
  • Anwar then led mass political reform protests and was arrested under Malaysia’s controversial Internal Security Act and jailed for sodomy and corruption.
  • Mahathir emerged from political retirement in 2016, buried the hatched with Anwar Ibrahim, and reunited in a court room.
  • Together their alliance exploited public disenchantment over the cost of living and a multi-billion-dollar scandal that had dogged Najib since 2015.
  • Mahathir said that one of his first actions would be to seek a royal pardon for Anwar.
  • Before the poll he had promised to step aside once Anwar was free and let him become prime minister within two years
  • His alliance of four parties trounced the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition of now former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was once Mahathir’s protege but became his most bitter rival.
  • Anwar’s wife, Wan Azizah, endorsed Mahathir and served as his deputy in the coalition to oust Najib. She was one of the opposition candidates elected.
  • Mahathir repeated a promise to repeal a goods and services tax (GST) introduced by Najib and review foreign investments, including major infrastructure projects that are part of China’s Belt and Road initiative.
  • However, Global ratings agency Moody’s said some of his campaign promises, including scrapping GST and a reintroduction of fuel subsidies, could be credit-negative for Malaysia’s sovereign debt rating.

At a press conference after being sworn in, Mahathir reassured the financial community and said he would prioritise stabilising the economy and returning billions of dollars lost in a corruption scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), “We believe that we can get most of the 1MDB money back … we have to increase the confidence of investors in the administration”.