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EDITORIAL

The accountability and independence of the judiciary must not be compromised These are extraordinary times for the judiciary. From signs of a confrontation with the executive over judicial appointments to an unpleasant rift among Supreme Court judges, it has seen much turmoil recently. The process initiated by major Opposition parties to impeach the Chief Justice of India is an unprecedented crisis. The motion, details of which cannot be revealed under Rajya Sabha rules until it is admitted, draws its substance and arguments mainly from the points raised by the four senior-most judges, whose dissent brought simmering differences to the fore. Their main charge, that CJI Dipak Misra selectively assigns cases to Benches of his choice, had some dark ramifications, including insinuations about the way he dealt with a petition by a medical college on the judicial and administrative side, and a case of suspected judicial bribery. The CJI has stuck to his position that as ‘master of the roster’ he has the prerogative to allot cases. Are the senior judges who question this entirely wrong? While putting in place the collegium system for judicial appointments, the Supreme Court said “consultation with the Chief Justice” meant “consultation with a plurality of judges”. The argument that the power to allot cases should be exercised by the Chief Justice in consultation with senior judges may have some substance from this point of view. The counter-argument is that a principle evolved for appointments can’t be stretched to cover routine functions such as constituting Benches. But this still raises the question: could the CJI have better addressed his colleagues’ concerns and put in place an informal consultative system, so the damage the institution has suffered could have been avoided?The movers of the motion do not have the numbers to get it passed. And it is wholly within the power of Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu to decide whether to admit it. Against this backdrop, the impeachment attempt led by the Congress may be perceived in some quarters as no more than a political move to highlight its claim that key democratic institutions are in danger under the present regime. To the people at large, the real question is whether it is the internal rift or the executive’s attempt to keep it under its thumb that poses the greater danger to the judiciary. The Rajya Sabha Chairman will have to weigh one question before admitting the motion: what will cause greater damage to the institution, pursuing the process or rejecting it outright? Some may say any inquiry into the CJI’s conduct will imperil judicial independence, and others may argue that ignoring the allegations will be more dangerous. The Constitution advisedly envisages the impeachment of superior court judges as a rigorous political process driven by Parliament. It has in-built safeguards such as an inquiry by a panel of judges, and a two-thirds majority in both Houses. The intention is to provide for both accountability and independence of the judiciary. Neither of these objectives can be dispensed in favour of the other.unprecedented (adjective) – not done or experienced before.compromise (verb) – undermine, weaken, damage.confrontation (noun) – conflict, tussle, face-off.the executive (noun) – administration, authority, directorate.rift (noun) – division, disagreement, conflict.turmoil (noun) – confusion, commotion, disruption.impeach (verb) – indict, charge, accuse (a public official) with a crime done while in office.substance (noun) – significant subject, important matter/content, valid message.dissent (noun) – disagreement, lack of agreement, difference of opinion/argument.simmering (adjective) – fuming, seething, intensed/severe.to the fore (phrase) -to a most important position/situation.ramifications (noun) – consequence, result/outcome, aftermath.insinuation (noun) – hint, suggestion, implication/indication.stick to (phrasal verb) – abide by, adhere to, hold to (a rule, a commitment).roster (noun) –  a list of the people of a team/organisation. prerogative (noun) – rights, claim, privilege.collegium system (noun) – The collegium system is the one in which the Chief Justice of India and a forum of four senior most judges of the Supreme Court recommend appointments & transfers of judges. There is no mention of the collegium in the Constitution of India.plurality (noun) – diversity.put in place (phrase) – initiate, usher in, bring in.under someone’s thumb (phrase) – under someone’s control.weigh (verb) – consider, contemplate, think about/mull over.pursue (verb) – engage in, follow, conduct.outright (adverb) – completely, entirely, totally.imperil (verb) – endanger, jeopardise, put in danger/put at risk.envisage (verb) – foresee, predict, imagine/envision.dispense (verb) – discard, throw away; give up.#FancyJ

SSA

Sukanya Samriddhi Account ( Girl Child Prosperity Account) is a Government of India  backed saving scheme targeted at the parents of girl children. The scheme encourages parents to build a fund for the future education and marriage expenses for their female child.The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra modi on 22 January 2015 as a part of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign in Panipat, Haryana. The accounts can be opened at any India Post office or a branch of some authorised commercial banks.Eligibility for opening Sukanya Samriddhi Account The account can be opened by the natural or legal guardian for a girl child of age below 10 years.A depositor can open and operate only one account in the name of a girl child under the scheme rules.Natural or legal guardian of a girl child are allowed to open the account for two girl children only. Features of Sukanya Samriddhi account Attractive interest rate of 8.1%, that is fully exempt from tax under section 80C.Minimum Rs. 1,000 can be invested in one financial yearMaximum investment of Rs. 1,50,000 can be made in one financial yearIf the minimum amount of Rs 1000/- is not deposited in any financial year , a penalty of Rs 50/- will be chargedDeposits in an account can be made till completion of 14 years, from the date of opening of the accountThe account shall mature on completion of 21 years from the date of opening of the account, provided that where the marriage of the account holder takes place before completion of such period of 21 years, the operation of the account shall not be permitted beyond the date of her marriagePassbook will be issued to customers. Withdrawal FacilityTo meet the financial requirements of the account holder for the purpose of higher education and marriage, account holder can avail partial withdrawal facility after attaining 18 years of age.If the beneficiary is married before maturity of account, account has to be closed.Documents Required – You need birth certificate of the girl child, along with the identity proof and residence proof of the guardian, to open an account under this scheme.Transfer of account under Sukanya Samriddhi Accoun (1) The Account may be transferred anywhere in India and from or to post offices and from or to Banks and between post office and Bank, free of cost on furnishing of proof of shifting of residence of either the guardian or the Account holder and otherwise, on payment of a fees of one hundred rupees to the post office or the Bank to which the transfer is made. (2) The process of transfer of the account shall be effected electronically if the post office or the Bank concerned, has access to the facility of CBS.#FancyJ

EDITORIAL

The task of balancing penal law enforcement and civil liberties is best left to Parliament The Supreme Court, in its recent judgment in Subhash Kashinath Mahajan v. State of Maharashtra, has stirred up a debate which is bound to impact the law and policy on the prohibition of the practice of untouchability and prevention of atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in India. What data show The empirical question of whether the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 is really being misused by the filing of false cases (which is the basis for the judgment) needs to be addressed by looking at the available data. While it is true, as contended before the court, that National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data show that 5,347 false cases involving SCs and 912 false cases involving STs were registered in 2016, it should be noted that these constituted only 9% and 10%, respectively, of the total number of cases that were to be investigated by the police in that year. This would suggest that only about one out of 10 cases filed is false. The question that arises is whether the imposition of severe restrictions, on registration and arrest, for all cases under the Act is justified. The other facts sought to be canvassed before the court appear to be more anecdotal than based on concrete statistical data. Thus, there appears to be little evidence that the Act is being rampantly misused. On the contrary, there is plenty of evidence to support the view that the SCs/STs are victims of rising crime each year. NCRB data show that in the past 10 years, crimes against SCs have risen by 51% (27,070 cases in 2006 and 40,801 crimes in 2016 were reported). Against STs it was by 13% (5,791 in 2006 and 6,568 cases in 2016 were reported). Studies by the National Law School of India University and Action Aid India have shown that religious, social and other disabilities involving the practice of untouchability continue to be widespread in India. Thus, there is much empirical evidence to support the stand that the Act needs to be strengthened — not weakened. Inadequate enforcement Legislation on untouchability and atrocities against SCs/STs arguably constitutes a radical departure from the usual approach of the criminal justice system. Unlike other offences, untouchability is an offence under the Constitution — Article 17 prescribes that ‘the enforcement of any disability arising out of untouchability shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law’. Along with Articles 14, 21 and the rest of them, Article 17 is thus exalted to the position of a fundamental right However, despite the laws, it is generally accepted that Article 17 has not succeeded in achieving its mandate largely due to inadequate enforcement, in turn leading to low conviction rates and a huge pendency of cases. Consequently, the legislative trend has been to progressively make the penal law tougher. In 2016, several amendments were introduced to strengthen the 1989 Act such as: including more acts as atrocities; increasing the quantum of punishment for the offences defined as atrocities; imposing an enhanced duty on public servants such as police officers who are required to enforce the Act; constituting special and exclusive courts to try offences under the Act; introducing time limits for investigation and trial; providing enhanced state machinery for arrest, investigation and trial; using presumptions to make convictions easier; and detailed regulation of the rights of victims and witnesses under the Act. Supreme Court might be seen to run counter to the legislative trend of making the untouchability and atrocities laws harsher and tougher rather than softer. The court’s judgment is noteworthy for reminding us that the untouchability and atrocities laws, in its zeal to make the penal law stricter and more effective in the prosecution of offenders, cannot violate basic civil liberties as enshrined in Articles 21 and 22 (liberties articulated by a number of judges in Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India). Possible solutions Even if the ruling on anticipatory bail is to be welcomed as protecting the accused from needless arrest and humiliation on the one hand and as a victory for human rights on the other, whether ordinary police powers of registering a first information report and making arrests in cognisable cases should be whittled down to this extent in atrocity cases is a matter of deliberation. False and frivolous complaints filed under untouchability legislation could also have been dealt with by other means which include directions for prompt investigation and prosecution of such offences by the police and others under the Indian Penal Code, 1860. It might have been more appropriate to have left the delicate balancing act between the enforcement of penal laws and the protection of civil liberties to Parliament, the body entrusted with the task of making our laws.atrocity (noun) – act of barbarity, cruelty, inhumanity.bound to (adjective) – certain/sure, very likely, guaranteed.empirical (adjective) – actual, real, pragmatic/practical.contend (verb) – assert, claim, argue.imposition (noun) – implementation, execution, enforcement.canvass (verb) – seek, try to obtain, go after (for support).anecdotal (adjective) – informal, unreliable; narrative.rampantly (adverb) – uncontrollably, pervasively/ubiquitously, in a widespread manner.radical (adjective) – complete, total, fundamental/basic.exalt (verb) – promote, elevate/raise, praise/dignify.conviction (noun) – declaration/pronouncement of guilt, sentence, judgement.pendency (adjective) – a way of remaining undecided; pending.presumption (noun) – assumption, supposition, speculation.jurisprudence (noun) – body of laws/rules; legal system.enshrine (verb) – to enclose in, preserve, treasure, protect (as valuable).anticipatory bail - under section 438 of the criminal procedure code, the provision allows a person can request to get bail in anticipation of being accused of having commited a non bailable offence in indiacognisable (adjective) – perceptible; clearly identifiable. whittle down (verb) – reduce, cut down, decrease.deliberation (noun) – thought, thinking, careful consideration.frivolous (adjective) – silly, foolish, irresponsible/thoughtless.#FancyJ

April 21 CA

● 21 April : Civil Services Day ● BRICS Finance Ministers And Central Bank Governors Meeting In Washington D.C ● Conference on ' Urban Development: Technological Solutions and Governance Challenges ' In Ahmedabad ● TCS First Indian Company With $100 Billion Market Cap ● Miguel Diaz-Canel Named Cuba's New President ● Prince Charles To Be Next Head Of Commonwealth ● Vijay Goel Launches Central Project Monitoring Unit For E-Vidhan Project ● Taipei Opens WTC In Delhi Yo Boost Ties With India ● EAM Sushma Swaraj Left For China On 4-Day Visit For SCO Meet ● 16th Federation Cup Junior National Athletics Championship Begins Coimbatore , Tamil Nadu ● 1st International SME Convention 2018 To Be Held In New Delhi ● Rahul Kulshreshth Appointed As The Next Ambassador Of India To Egypt ● Sanjay Bhattacharya Appointed As The Next Ambassador Of lndia To Turkey ● Ravi Thapar Appointed As The Next Ambassador Of India To Nicaragua ● Daniel Ricciardo Wins Chinese Grand Prix 2018 ● Deepika Padukone , Virat Kohli In TIME’s 100 Most Influential People List ● Shrimant Jha Bags Bronze At Asian Armwrestling Championship In Kazakhstan .#RAJKUMAR

April 20 CA

● Manoj Sinha Has Inaugurated The Newly Created Parcel Directorate ● First Ever International SME Convention-2018 In New Delhi ● Rakesh Roshan To Get Lifetime Achievement Honour ● Vice President Venkaiah Naidu Releases A Book Titled ' Bhavdiye ' ● Miguel Diaz-Canel Was Formally Named As The New President Of Cuba ● Swaziland King Changes Country's Name To ' Kingdom Of eSwatini ' ● Bangalore Emerges As Top City For Office Expansion : CBRE ● BCCL Chairman Indu Jain Gets Lifetime Contribution To Media Award ● Chhattisgarh Distribute Free Smartphones To Over 50 Lakh People Under ' Sanchar Kranti Yojana ' ● India Has World’s 2nd Largest Unbanked Population : World Bank ● Jim Bridenstine To Be The New NASA Chief ● The 3rd Edition Of The Annual 5G India Congress 2018 Held In New Delhi ● HRD To Integrate E-SANAD Portal And National Academic Depository Integrated ● Mukesh Ambani Was Ranked 24 In Fortune's 2018 List Of The World's 50 Greatest Leaders ● Rana Kapoor Felicitated With Outstanding Brand Builder Award By AAAI ● Rajalakshmi Was Elected The Bew President Of The Indian Women’s Press Corps ● Kidambi Srikanth Drops Four Places To Fifth In BWF Rankings . #RAJKUMAR

April 19 CA

● 19 April : World Liver Day ● World Liver Day 2018 Theme : ‘ Riding New Waves In Liver Diagnosis , Staging & Treatment ' ● Vice President Venkaiah Naidu Launches Atal Amrit Abhiyan ● Global IT Challenge For Youth With Disabilities 2018 Will Be Held In New Delhi ● State Bank Of India Was The Most Trusted Bank In The Country ● ' Smart Health ' App Developed To Help Track Diabetes In Rural India ● FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Unveils 'Son Of Dreams ' Official Mascot ● Gujarat Launched ' Haemophilia Jagruti , Magazine To Spread Awareness About Haemophilia ● Venkaiah Naidu Launches Assam Govt’s ' Atal Amrit Abhiyan ' Cashless Health Scheme ● India World’s 6th Largest Economy At $2.6 trillion : IMF ● Madhya Pradesh Conferred Most Film Friendly State Award ● NABARD Approves Rs 14,690 Cr Funding To Rajasthan ● Smriti Irani Launches GNFC’s Neem Project In Uttar Pradesh ● UP Tops With 3.2 Lakh Toilets Built In 17 Days Under The Centre’s ‘ Swachhta Hi Seva ’ Campaign ● Delhi CM Approves India’s First Power Consumer Compensation Policy ● Union Environment Ministry Releases The Draft Of National Clean Air Programme ● Karan Johar To Get A Statue At Madame Tussauds Museum In London ● Dilip Chenoy New Secretary General Of FICCI ● Amazon Has Launched An Android Web Browser App Called ‘ Internet ’ ● Maharashtra Now An Open Defecation-Free State . #RAJKUMAR

EDITORIAL

The world must increase pressure on Myanmar to do right by the RohingyaThe scale of the humanitarian crisis faced by Rohingya refugees was highlighted this month when Myanmar claimed it had repatriated a family of five. About 700,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh from their homes in Myanmar’s Rakhine province since August 2017. Late last year, the two countries had struck an agreement for their return. Bangladesh, however, rejected the claim about the repatriation of the five family members, saying they had not travelled into its territory, so their so-called return did not qualify as repatriation. In fact, in London this week, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina repeated statements by her officials on the repatriation claim, and asked the international community to put more pressure on Myanmar to “take back their own people and ensure their security”. Facing persecution at home in Myanmar, Rohingya have for years been fleeing in the most hazardous of ways, and the UN reckons there were already 200,000 refugees in Bangladesh before the mass flight began in August, with most refugees now concentrated in Cox’s Bazar. Bangladesh has been at the forefront of seeing to the needs of the refugees, and trying to get Myanmar to create the conditions for their eventual safe return to their homes. Aid workers are working to strengthen their shelters and move the more vulnerable to safer ground before the monsoon rain comes. The world needs to do a lot more — especially India, as a neighbour that has an estimated 40,000 Rohingya refugees living precariously on its territory, and as a regional power that is failing this time round to keep up its legacy of providing succour to those fleeing persecution. At the heart of the human rights problem that confronts the world is that no one is confident that conditions obtain in Myanmar to receive the refugees. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said last week that “conditions in Myanmar are not yet conducive for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of refugees”. It clarified that there needs to be more than physical infrastructure and logistical arrangements for their journey back. It is crucial that there be movement on Rohingya’s legal status and citizenship in Myanmar and their identification with Rakhine. Myanmar refuses to recognise the Rohingya, who are mostly Muslim, as a separate ethnic group and denies them citizenship. It just gives them the option of self-identifying themselves as Bengali, which has its own implications for their rights as inhabitants of the country. Officials do not even use the word Rohingya. It has been rightly termed a case of ethnic cleansing. Pressure on Myanmar, which won plaudits for its recent democratic transition, to recognise the rights of a people who trace their ancestry in Rakhine for generations has so far yielded nothing. As Ms. Hasina suggested this week, it should be reason for the global community to double the pressure.conscience call (noun) – an appeal/need/necessity to be made on inner voice, moral sense, sense of right and wrong.humanitarian crisis (noun) – humanitarian disaster; it is defined as a singular event or a series of events that are threatening in terms of health, safety or well being of a community or large group of people. It may be an internal or external conflict and usually occurs throughout a large land area.repatriate (verb) – send (a person) back to his/her own country.struck past participle of strike (verb) –  sign, reach, arrive at.persecution (noun) – ill treatment/hostility, discrimination, oppression.flee (verb) – run away, take flight, escape. flight (noun) – fleeing, departure, escape.hazardous (adjective) – risky, dangerous; unsafe/perilous.reckon (verb) – calculate, work out; estimate/evaluate.forefront (noun) – vanguard, leading position, driving force.precariously (adverb) – insecurely; unsafely, weakly/unsteadily, uncertainly, dependently.legacy (noun) – tradition, inheritance, bequest/heritage.succour (noun) – aid/help/support, assistance, relief.confront (verb) – trouble, bother, burden.obtain in (verb) – be present in, exist, prevail.conducive (adjective) – favourable, beneficial, advantageous.ethnic (adjective) – relating to a population subgroup (cultural, national, traditional/folk) with a common national or cultural tradition.implications (noun) – consequence/outcome, ramification, repercussion.inhabitants (noun) – people, public, community, folk.ethnic cleansing (noun) – the mass expulsion or killing of an ethnic group members in a place by an another one, particularly a majoritarian group in that place.plaudits (noun) – praise/acclaim, kudos, commendation.ancestry (noun) – line of descent, family tree, origin/heredity.yield (verb) – produce, provide, generate/realize.#FancyJ

BFS

The Banking Regulation Act, 1949 empowers the Reserve Bank of India to inspect and supervise commercial banks. These powers are exercised through on-site inspection and off site surveillance.Till 1993, regulatory as well as supervisory functions over commercial banks were performed by the Department of Banking Operations and Development (DBOD). Subsequently, a new Department of Banking Supervision (DBS) was set up to take over the supervisory functions relating to the commercial banks from DBOD. For dedicated and integrated supervision over all credit institutions, i.e., banks, development financial institutions and non-banking financial companies, the Board for Financial Supervision (BFS) was set up in November 1994 under the aegis of the Reserve Bank of India. For focussed attention in the area of supervision over non-banking finance companies, Department of Supervision was further bifurcated in August 1997 into Department of Banking Supervision (DBS) and Department of Non-Banking Supervision (DNBS). These Departments now look after supervision over commercial banks & development financial institutions and non-banking financial companies, respectively. Both these departments now function under the direction of the Board for Financial Supervision (BFS).The Board for Financial Supervision constituted an audit sub-committee in January 1995 with the Vice-Chairman of the Board as its Chairman and two non-official members of BFS as members. The sub-committee’s main focus is upgradation of the quality of the statutory audit and concurrent / internal audit functions in banks and development financial institutions.On site InspectionOn site inspection of banks is carried out on an annual basis. Besides the head office and controlling offices, certain specified branches are covered under inspection so as to ensure a minimum coverage of advances.The Annual Financial Inspection (AFI) focusses on statutorily mandated areas of solvency, liquidity and operational health of the bank. It is based on internationally adopted CAMEL model modified as CAMELS, i.e., capital adequacy, asset quality, management, earning, liquidity and system and control. While the compliance to the inspection findings is followed up in the usual course, the top management of the Reserve Bank addresses supervisory letters to the top management of the banks highlighting the major areas of supervisory concern that need immediate rectification, holds supervisory discussions and draws up an action plan, that can be monitored. All these are followed up vigorously. Indian commercial banks are rated as per supervisory rating model approved by the BFS which is based on ‘ CAMELS ‘ concept.Off-site MonitoringAs part of the new supervisory strategy, a focussed off-site surveillance function was initiated in 1995 for domestic operations of banks. The primary objective of the off site surveillance is to monitor the financial health of banks between two on-site inspections, identifying banks which show financial deterioration and would be a source for supervisory concerns. This acts as a trigger for timely remedial action.During December 1995 first tranche of off-site returns was introduced with five quarterly returns for all commercial banks operating in India and two half yearly returns one each on connected and related lending and profile of ownership, control and management for domestic banks. The second tranche of four quarterly returns for monitoring asset-liability management covering liquidity and interest rate risk for domestic currency and foreign currencies were introduced since June, 1999. The Reserve Bank intends to reduce this periodicity with effect from April 1,2000.Corporate GovernanceWith a view to strengthening the corporate governance and internal control function in the banks, several steps have been initiated. Introduction of concurrent audit system, constitution of independent audit committee of board, appointment of RBI nominees on boards of banks, creation of a post of compliance officer, such are some steps. Besides, the Reserve Bank monitors the implementation of recommendations of Jilani Committee relating to internal control systems in banks on an on-going basis during the annual financial inspection of banks.Initiatives and DirectionsThe Reserve Bank has taken several other supervisory policy initiatives. These include quarterly monitoring visits to banks displaying financial and systemic weaknesses, appointment of monitoring officers and direct monitoring of certain problem areas in house-keeping, etc. In addition the department provides secretarial support to the Board for Financial Supervision and acts as its executive arm. It is the BFS which evolves policies relating to supervision. It also attends to appointment of statutory central auditors / branch auditors for all banks and selected all India financial institutions and to complaints against banks. The department monitors cases of frauds perpetrated in banks and reported to it. The department as a one time measure, issued several guidelines to banks and all india financial institutions to enable them to become Y2K compliant.Core PrinciplesAgainst the backdrop of banking sector reforms in India and the global focus on internal control and supervisory mechanism, the need for building a strong and efficient banking system comparable to the international standards cannot be gainsaid. A detailed study was carried out so as to ascertain gaps, if any, in implementing the 25 core principles of effective banking supervision enunciated by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). Necessary steps have already been initiated to fill in the gaps, so as to make the regulatory as well supervisory system more sound and comparable to international standards.Supervision over FIsOn the basis of the recommendations made by an in-house group, the monitoring of the financial institutions first started after 1990. This was done through prescribed quarterly returns on liabilities / assets, source and deployment of funds, etc. The objective of this monitoring was to obtain a macro level perspective for evolving monetary and credit policy, to assess the quality of assets of the financial system and to improve co-ordination between banks and FIs. In 1994, these institutions were brought under the prudential regulation of the Reserve Bank.The Reserve Bank has adopted more or less, the CAMELS approach for regulation of Fis. Since FIs are vested with developmental role as welland with responsibility of supervision of other institutions, evaluation of their developmental, co-ordinating and supervisory role is also undertaken.The newly created division in the department at present supervises and regulates ten select all-India financial institutions viz., IDBI, ICICI, IFCI, IIBI, Exim Bank, NABARD, NHB, SIDBI, IDFC and TFCI. With a view to having a continuous monitoring and supervision of these FIs, an off-site surveillance system has also been put in place.Further, the division collects from LIC, GIC and UTI information relating to assets and liabilities and flow of funds for the purpose of overall assessment of the impact of the operations of FIs on the total flow of resources in the economy and for compiling new liquidity and monetary aggregates. #FancyJ

EDITORIAL

On Kathua, the BJP is presenting one narrative to Jammu, another to the rest of India In its reaction to the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, the BJP seems motivated by a need to strike a balance between protecting its political constituency in Jammu and addressing the public outrage countrywide. Two of its Ministers in the Mehbooba Mufti government — Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga — had participated in a rally organised by the Hindu Ekta Manch in support of the accused in the case, but the BJP was slow to act against them. Under pressure from Ms. Mufti, they were asked to submit their resignations, but the BJP made it seem to be part of a larger exercise of a shuffle in the Cabinet. Even when their continuance in the Cabinet became untenable, the BJP was intent on protecting the two from any shadow of guilt. Soon after the two Ministers handed in their resignations, the party asked all its nine Ministers to step down, apparently to bring in new faces. Clearly, the BJP is hoping to present one narrative to the Jammu region, and quite another to Kashmir and the rest of India. While promising justice to the rape victims, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had nothing to say about his own party’s attempts to obstruct the course of justice in Kathua. The resignations ensured the continuance of the government, but the episode has cast harsh, unflattering light on the utter incongruity of the alliance. Neither the Peoples Democratic Party nor the BJP wants to end their coalition over this issue; however, the two parties serve very different political constituencies, both demographically and geographically. What brought them together was not some shared political objectives, but the PDP’s interest in keeping the National Conference out, and the BJP’s in keeping the Congress out. The alliance was born of short-term electoral expediency rather than any long-term political strategy. After the death of Mufti Mohammed Sayeed in January 2016, the alliance came under new strains with Ms. Mufti attempting to adopt a more independent line, one that was in consonance with feedback from the cadre. But just as the two parties cannot fight the elections on the same electoral plank, they cannot afford to let go of their stakes in this government, for fear of conceding political space to their principal rivals. Closer to the next Assembly election in 2020, the alliance is likely to come under greater strain as the benefits of continuing in government will be outweighed by the risks of approaching an election together. Another similarly contentious issue closer to 2020 might not see the PDP and the BJP so eager to reach a compromise.shuffle (noun) – rearrangement, mixing up, reorganization (a change of order).narrative (noun) – statement, report/portrayal, description.strike a balance (phrase) – find a reasonable line of action between two contrasting things.constituency (noun) – citizenry (in a region) who elect a representative to a legislative body. citizenry (noun) – all the people/citizens (of a place/country considered as a whole).outrage (noun) – indignation, fury/anger, shock.untenable (adjective) – undefendable, unarguable, unjustified.shadow (noun) – hint, trace, suspicion.step down (phrasal verb) – resign, give up one’s job, stand down.apparently (adverb) – seemingly, evidently, ostensibly.unflattering (adjective) – unfavourable, unattractive, critical.cast light on (phrasal verb) – explain,  clarify, clear up.incongruity (noun) – unsuitability, inconsistency, difference.keep out (phrasal verb) – exclude, deny access to, ban/prohibit.expediency (noun) – convenience, advantage, benefit/gain.strain (noun) – pressure, stress, demand/burden.consonance (noun) – agreement, concord, accordance.cadre (noun) – member of a (political) group.plank (noun) – a fundamental point.let go (phrase) – release one’s hold on, give up, relinquish (grip).concede (verb) – surrender, yield, give up (a possession, right, or privilege).outweigh (verb) – supersede, offset, cancel out.contentious (adjective) – controversial, debatable, disputed.#FancyJ

India- based Neutrino Observatory

Approval has been granted by the Union cabinet for setting up of a Neutrino Observatory for studying fundamental particles called the neutrinos. The location of the Observatory would be in the Bodi West Hills region of Theni district, about 110 kilometres west of Madurai in Tamil Nadu.   INO involves the construction of an underground laboratory. The project location was initially decided to be located in the Nilgiris but later, on grounds that it was too close to tiger habitat, was moved to a cavern under a rocky mountain in the Bodi West Hills.It involves Inter-Institutional Centre for High Energy Physics (IICHEP) and Iron Calorimeter Detector (ICAL).Approval has also been granted to construct a magnetized Iron Calorimeter in order to study the properties of the neutrino, specifically, the mass hierarchy in various types of neutrino. It will be the largest in the world weighing over 50,000 tonnes.Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Atomic Energy jointly support the project.  Neutrinos Neutrinos are electrically neutral, elementary weakly interacting subatomic particles with half-integer spin. They belong to the lepton family. Neutrinos were first proposed by Swiss scientist Wolfgang Pauli, are the second most widely occurring particle in the universe, only second to photons, the particle which makes up light. Neutrinos are similar to the more familiar electron, with one crucial difference: neutrinos do not carry electric charge. Because neutrinos are electrically neutral, they are not affected by the electromagnetic forces which act on electrons. They are light.They have little mass or are nearly massless.They are no-charge particles that only interact with weak nuclear force.There are three types of neutrinos: “Electron neutrino” is associated with the electron“Muon neutrino”“Tau neutrino” In 2015, the Nobel prize in physics was awarded to Takaaki Kajita and Arthur B. Mcdonald for discovering neutrino oscillations demonstrating that neutrinos have mass.Neutrinos are the least harmful of all elementary particles, as they almost never react with solid bodies.The mass of a neutron is 1.67×10-27 kg while the mass of a neutrino is of the order of 1×10-37kg. Hence, a neutrino is about 17 billion times lighter than a neutron. The two are incomparable.    Importance of INO It will be the largest experimental facility to come up in the country. It will facilitate the development of cutting-edge technology and build sophisticated instruments.Neutrinos may have a role to play in nuclear non-proliferation through the remote monitoring of nuclear reactors. Understanding neutrinos could help in detection of oil and mineral deposits.They may open up a faster way to send data than the current ‘around the earth’ model, using towers, cables or satellites as they can pass through the Earth.Neutrinos are the information bearers of the universe — which are almost never lost in their path. Efforts in studying neutrinos at INO may help unravel the deepest mystery of the universe #FancyJ

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