GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Recently, Pakistan recently passed a bill in its parliament that gives Kulbhushan Jadhav the right to file a review appeal against his conviction.

• The bill has been brought to give effect to the International Court of Justice’s 2019 judgement.
• He was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on the charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017.
• India has always maintained that Kulbhushan Jadhav is not a spy, and that Pakistan should provide counsellor access to him as his case pertains to abduction from the Iranian territory.
• ICJ was established in 1945 by the United Nations charter and started working in April 1946.
• It is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, situated at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).
• Unlike the six principal organs of the United Nations, it is the only one not located in New York (USA).

Recently, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO)has constructed and completed black topping the world’s highest motorable road at Umling La pass in Eastern Ladakh, located at an altitude of 19,300 ft.

• The feat was achieved under “Project Himank” of the BRO. Being close to Hanle, the 86-km-long strategic road through Umling La Top connects Chisumle and Demchok villages, located 230km from Leh.
• These villages are very close to the India-China border in eastern sector.

According to the World Bank’s Migration and Development Brief, India has become the world’s largest recipient of Remittances, receiving USD 87 billion (a gain of 4.6 % from previous year) in 2021.

• India is followed by China, Mexico, the Philippines, and Egypt.
• The United States being the biggest source, accounting for over 20% of all Remittances.

Findings Related to India:

• Firstly, India has received the highest amount of remittances in 2020. This was followed by China, Mexico, the Philippines, Egypt, Pakistan, France and Bangladesh.
• Secondly, India’s Remittances: India has received over USD83 billion in remittances in 2020. This was despite the pandemic that devastated the world economy.
• In 2019, India had received USD83.3 billion in remittances.

The Supreme Court recently quashed a Bombay High Court decision to acquit a man charged with assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) solely on the grounds that he groped the child over her clothes without “skin-to-skin” contact.

Section 29 of the Act states that -

• It says that when a person is prosecuted for committing an offence of sexual assault against a minor, the special court trying the case “shall presume” the accused to be guilty.

Recently, the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs and the Union Minister for Rural Development & Panchayati Raj jointly inaugurated the one-day National Conference on provisions of the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act 1996 (PESA) to commemorate the 25^th year of enactment of the PESA.

• To promote local self-governance in rural India, the 73^rd Constitutional Amendment was made in 1992.
• Through this amendment, a three-tier Panchayati Raj Institution was made into a law.
• However, its application to the scheduled and tribal areas under Article 243(M) was restricted.
• After the Bhuria Committee recommendations in 1995, Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act 1996 came into existence for ensuring tribal self-rule for people living in scheduled areas of India.
• The PESA conferred the absolute powers to Gram Sabha, whereas state legislature has given an advisory role to ensure the proper functioning of Panchayats and Gram Sabhas.