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Daily Current Capsules -22nd November 2019

The Freedom Struggle
Parliament passes Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill 2019

Relevance IN - Prelims (about the bill + about Jallianwala Bagh) + Mains (GS I Indian freedom struggle)
What's the NEWS
  • Parliament has passed the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019. Rajya Sabha approved the bill yesterday while Lok Sabha had passed it in the last session.
Know! more about the bill
  • The Bill seeks to amend the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951.
  • It has a provision to remove the President of the Congress party as a trustee and clarifies that when there is no Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the leader of the single largest Opposition party will be the trustee.
  • The Bill also allows the Central government to terminate the term of a nominated trustee before the expiry of the period of his term, without assigning any reason.
What's the need
  • The government's intention is to build a Memorial so that the sacrifice of martyrs is remembered by generations to come.
  • This year Jalliawalan Bagh massacre has completed its 100th anniversary and after 100 years, it is necessary to build Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial as National Memorial in true sense.
  • These amendments will make this Memorial a National Monument in true spirit
  • The Jallianwala Bagh Trust was established in 1921 which was funded by the public.
  • In the year 1951, a new trust was formed and a special person was made a trustee without holding any constitutional post.
  • The government is inducting elected people into constitutional and administrative posts. No special person will be nominated.
  • Also, these members will be replaced after every five years. Also, kin of the martyrs would also be included in the trust.
Know! Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
  • The Rowlatt Act was enacted in the country in 1919. The Viceroy had gained a lot of strength due to the act.
  • This act included suppressing freedom of the press, imprisoning any politician in jail without a warrant and arresting any person without warrant.
  • People in Jallianwala Bagh were protesting against the bill. The Jallianwala Bagh had only one entrance.
  • Meanwhile, Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer of the British Army reached through a narrow lane with a contingent of about 90 soldiers.
  • He started firing on the people present there without any warning. Several hundreds of people died on the spot and it has become one of the biggest incidents of Indian Freedom Movement.
Social Issues
South Asia Safety Summit

Relevance IN - Prelims (about South Asia Safety Summit) + Mains (GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
What's the NEWS
  • Union Minister of Women and Child Development (WCD) and Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated 2nd edition of South Asia Safety Summit organized by the Ministry of WCD and FACEBOOK.
Know! more about the summit
  • The South Asia Safety Summit is being organized to highlight the issue of safety while individuals and communities are connected on the digital platform.
  • Participants from 125 civil society organizations, feminist groups, child safety experts, academics focused on gender and mass communication, safety practitioners, mental health and suicide prevention organizations, disabilities rights groups, and partners who have expertise in running digital literacy programmes and creating tools for social-emotional development of young people are attending the Summit.
  • They are from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.
Steps taken by the Ministry of WCD for the safety of Women
  • One stop centres to service the needs of women in the
  • Every district of India will have anti trafficking units which is the first ever such initiative undertaken by the Government.
  • To make police stations more accessible for women and children Women's help desks are being set up in each police station across
  • Along with Ministry of Home Affairs the Ministry of WCD has launched the cyber-crime portal and the Ministry of WCD is helping to strengthen this portal so that women are able to lodge complaints of cyber bullying, online shaming and online threats.
  • WCD Ministry is digitally listing all sex offenders in India so that whenever background checks of employees need to be conducted its database will enable employers.
We Think Digital website launched
  • This website is an online education portal with interactive tutorials aimed at helping people think critically and share thoughtfully online.
  • The topics covered include privacy, safety, security, digital discourse and knowing your digital footprint.
  • "We Think Digital" is a four-part course designed to empower students with the knowledge to use, understand, evaluate, communicate and create with digital technologies.
  • It outlines the digital citizen's rights and responsibilities, encourages them to think critically about their digital behaviour and interactions, communicate respectfully and be responsible digital citizens in the online world.
  • The programme will focus on online safety, privacy and misinformation.
Know! the crime statics
  • 3 lakh crimes registered against women are committed by husbands and relatives so the challenges to women and children safety issues lie closer to home.
  • As per the NCRB data 42% of men justify domestic violence and 62% of women support domestic violence.
Economic Developments
29th Regional Contact Points (RCP) meeting of Asia Pacific (A/P) region of the World Customs Organization (WCO)
Relevance IN - Prelims (about RCP meeting objective and outcome and about WCO) + Mains ( GS III Economic development)
What's the NEWS
  • The 29th Regional Contact Points (RCP) meeting of Asia Pacific (A/P) region of the World Customs Organization (WCO) is being organised by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) at Puducherry from 18th to 20th November, 2019.
Know! about WCO
  • WCO is the only inter-governmental international organisation engaged in setting up and implementation of principles and standards for cross border procedures and Customs.
  • It is headquartered in Brussels and has more than 180 countries as its members.
  • Globally, WCO consist of six regions, each headed by a member country as Vice Chair of that region of WCO.
  • India is member of Asia Pacific region of WCO and is also currently the Vice Chair since July 2018.
Know! about the RCP meeting 2019
  • This is an important annual meeting in the region and is designed to address regional development in a number of areas, to discuss on various issues linked to cross border trade procedures and to enhance communication and experience sharing between the member countries.
  • The three day meeting will strengthen the leadership role of our country in the region, give wider recognition to CBIC on international platform and also, help in improving bilateral ties with these countries of the Asia Pacific region.
Economic Development
Govt Approves Biggest Privatisation Drive, Will Sell Stake in BPCL and Four Other PSUs

Relevance in - Prelims (facts related to recent developments) + Mains (GS III economic development)
What's the NEWS
  • In the biggest privatisation drive, the Union Cabinet approved sale of the government's stake in blue-chip oil firm Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) and onland cargo mover Container Corporation of India (Concor), as well as decided to cut shareholding in select public sector firms below 51% to boost revenue collections that have been hit by slowing economy.
Know! more about the disinvestment drive of the government
Five Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs)
  • Tehri Hydro Development Corporation India Limited (THDC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO), Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) and Container Corporation of India (CONCOR).
BPCL
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved sale of the government's entire 53.29% stake, along with the transfer of management control in the country's second-biggest state-owned refiner BPCL, after removing the Numaligarh refinery in Assam from its fold
SCI and CONCOR
  • It approved the sale of 53.75% of the government holding of 63.75% stake in SCI and 30.9% stake in Concor. The government currently holds 54.80% in the latter.
THDC India and NEEPCO
  • The government will sell its entire holding in THDC India and NEEPCO to state power generator NTPC Ltd.
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)
  • The Cabinet has approved reducing the government's stake in select PSUs, such as Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), to below 51% while continuing to retain management control.
  • The government currently holds 51.5% in IOC and another 25.9% through state-owned Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), and explorers Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India Ltd (OIL)
Numaligarh Refinery
  • The Finance Minister said that the government will do strategic disinvestment in BPCL. She has also made it clear that the government will not sell a part of BPCL to Numaligarh Refinery (NRL) in Assam.
  • The government will keep its stake in the refinery but BPCL will have full management control transfer.

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