What's the NEWS

• The Supreme Court constituted a three-judge panel headed by Justice SA Bobde, the senior-most judge in apex court after the Chief Justice of India (CJI), to inquire into the sexual harassment complaint by a former junior court assistant against CJI Ranjan Gogoi.

Know! more about the panel 

• Besides Justice SA Bobde, the inquiry panel comprises Justice NV Ramana, the next senior most judge, and Justice Indira Banerjee, who was elevated to the Supreme Court on August 7, 2018.
• The panel would be conducting an in-camera proceeding. It is expected to hear the complainant in person and analyze the evidence put forward by her.
• The panel has asked SC secretary general Kalgaonkar to come with all records relating to the dismissed woman employee and her places of posting during her four-year employment in the apex court.
• It will then seek the version of the CJI against whom the allegation is made and then come to its conclusion. The panel can even appoint a lawyer to assist them.
• This is the first in-house inquiry on a sexual harassment complaint conducted in the Supreme Court and it is the first-ever time ever such an inquiry is being conducted against the CJI.

Know! more about the S.C inhouse inquiry

• The three-judge panel was set up after a full court meeting unanimously agreed that it was necessary to clear the air after the controversy over the sexual harassment complaint.
• This will be the first time in the 69-year-old history of the Supreme Court that a sexual harassment complaint against the head of the judiciary would be inquired into by a panel of three SC judges.
• The in-house inquiry procedure for judges provides for inquiry against judges of SC and HCs but not against the CJI.
• The CJI had on April 20 entrusted Justice Bobde with the task of taking decisions relating to the sexual harassment complaint.
• Justice Bobde is next in seniority to the CJI and is scheduled to succeed him on November 18, 2019.
• With the first hearing of the case scheduled for April 26, the inquiry committee is expected to complete its task before the court closes for summer vacations on May 10.

Know! all about the Vishaka guidelines and sexual harassment at workplace act

• The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act was passed in 2013.
• It defines sexual harassment, lays down the procedures for a complaint and inquiry, and the action to be taken. It broadens the Vishaka guidelines, which were already in place.

What were the Vishaka guidelines?

• These were laid down by the Supreme Court in a judgment in 1997. This was on a case filed by women's rights groups, one of which was Vishaka. They had filed a public interest litigation over the alleged gang-rape of Bhanwari Devi, a social worker from Rajasthan. In 1992, she had prevented the marriage of a one-year-old girl, leading to the alleged gang-rape in an act of revenge.
• Legally binding, these defined sexual harassment and imposed three key obligations on institutions - prohibition, prevention, redress. The Supreme Court directed that they establish a Complaints Committee, which would look into matters of sexual harassment of women at the workplace.

Know! more about the provisions of the act

• It mandates that every employer constitute an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) at each office or branch with 10 or more employees. It lays down procedures and defines various aspects of sexual harassment, including aggrieved victim - a woman "of any age whether employed or not", who "alleges to have been subjected to any act of sexual harassment", which means the rights of all women working or visiting any workplace, in any capacity, are protected under the Act.

For the ICC to act, must the victim write a complaint?

• Technically, this is not compulsory. The Act says the aggrieved victim "may" make, in writing, a complaint of sexual harassment. If she cannot, any member of the ICC "shall" render "all reasonable assistance" to her for making the complaint in writing. And if the woman is unable to make a complaint on account of her "physical or mental incapacity or death or otherwise", her legal heir may do so.
  

Bilateral Trade
Government extends ban on import of milk products from China
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the statics of export and import between India - China) + Mains ( GS II bilateral relations)

What's the NEWS

• The Union Government extended the ban on import of milk and its products, including chocolates, from China till laboratories at ports for testing the presence of toxic chemical melamine are upgraded.

Concerned department

• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a notification that the prohibition on import of milk, milk products including chocolates, chocolate products, candies, confectionary and food preparations with milk or milk solids as an ingredient from China is extended until the capacity of all laboratories at ports of entry have been suitably upgraded for testing melamine.

Know! more about the ban

• The ban was imposed after apprehensions arose on the presence of melamine in some of the milk consignments from China. Melamine is a toxic chemical used for making plastics and fertilisers.
• Although India does not import milk or milk products from China, it imposed the ban as a preventive measure.
• The extension of the ban was recommended by Food regulator FSSAI until all labs at ports are modernised to test the chemical.

Know! about the milk production statistic in India

• India is the world's largest producer and consumer of milk. It produces around 150 million tonne milk annually.
• Among the Indian states, Uttar Pradesh leads in milk production followed by Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Social Issues
MHA distributes special kits to states, UTs to help probe sexual assault cases 
Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits (SAECK)
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the SAECK kit)

What's the NEWS

• The Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits (SAECK) or 'rape investigation kits' are designed to carry out immediate medico-legal investigation and aid in furnishing evidence in sexual assault and rape cases.
• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has distributed over 3,100 special kits SAECKs for collecting blood and semen samples, besides other evidence, to carry out immediate investigations into sexual assault cases among states and Union Territories.

Know! more about SAECK

• SAECK Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits (SAECKs) or ‘rape investigation kits' are specially designed kits to carry out the immediate medico-legal investigation.
• SAECKs also aid in furnishing evidence in sexual assault and rape cases.
• The Kit comprises of essential items that will aid in furnishing evidence such as blood and semen samples in sexual assault and rape cases, thus helping the prosecution to gather evidence against the accused.
• These kits are also expected to help law enforcement agencies in ensuring effective investigation in a timely manner for better prosecution and convictions in sexual assault cases.
• The SAECKs are being procured with financial support under the Central government's Nirbhaya Fund

Miscellaneous Factoids

Despite being 3rd largest, Indian startup ecosystem ranked even below Estonia, Ireland, Germany
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the report findings )

What's the NEWS

• While India climbed 20 spots (rank 37) from the previous ranking, countries such as Estonia (13), Ireland (14), and Germany (9) were ranked ahead of India for their startup ecosystems. Importantly, China was ranked 27th.
• StartupBlink has ranked 100 countries for startup environment of countries globally.

Know! more about the report findings

• The rankings were based on the data from over 61,000 startups, more than 500 accelerators, and over 1,400 coworking spaces registered on its platform along with data gathered from its global partners including Crunchbase, SimilarWeb etc.
• The rankings were based on the impact startups have been able to make in the country, how many startups and support organisations are there such as accelerators, coworking spaces, startup events along with technology infrastructure, red tape, bureaucracy, etc.
• The US, the UK, Canada, Israel, and Australia have been ranked in top5 in the rankings.

Challenges before India 

• The challenge before India is to improve the overall quality of startups and increase the number of unicorns than currently exist.
• In the ranking of cities, Bengaluru stood at 11, New Delhi at 18 and Mumbai at 29. San Francisco Bay, New York, London, Los Angeles, and Boston topped the ranking among the cities.

Prelims Practise Question

Consider the following statements

1. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has distributed over 3,100 special kits SAECKs for collecting blood and semen samples, besides other evidence, to carry out immediate investigations into sexual assault cases among states and Union Territories.
2. SAECK Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits (SAECKs) or ‘rape investigation kits' are specially designed kits to carry out the immediate medico-legal investigation.

Find the correct statement from the option given below
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. None
d. Both

Consider the following statements
1. The Supreme Court constituted a three-judge panel headed by Justice SA Bobde, alongwith the Chief Justice of India (CJI) itself , to inquire into the sexual harassment complaint by a former junior court assistant against CJI Ranjan Gogoi.
2. This is third in the number regarding an in-house inquiry on a sexual harassment complaint conducted in the Supreme Court but it is the first-ever time ever such an inquiry is being conducted against the CJI.

Find the correct statement from the option given below
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both
d. None

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