DNA 24th JULY

Finally, compensation for women in Odisha's ‘village of widows'

• A labour court in Odisha's Keonjhar district has awarded a compensation of Rs. 46 lakh to the families of those whose bread-winning male members died of silicosis, a preventable occupational lung disease.
• As many as 16 families, mostly represented by widows of diseased employees of a defunct pyrophyllite grinding unit in Madarangajodi, will share the compensation amount among themselves.
• A Jharkhand-based mining company had held the pyrophyllite mining rights over 53.8 hectares at Madarangajodi village, about 25 km from the district headquarter town of Keonjhar. The mining lease was executed in 1982.
• Most male members from Madarangajodi village had started working in the mining unit where pyrophyllite was ground to powder. During the 25 years of operation, most of the workers were exposed to silica.
• Subsequently, they developed breathing problems as a result of years of inhalation of crystalline silica. Villagers, who were unaware of the danger of silicosis, died one after another.
• An Angul-based non-government organisation had moved the National Human Rights Commission, which directed the Keonjhar district administration to carry out an investigation.
• The administration had found merit in the complaint. Although there were allegations of 50 Madarangajodi males dying of silicosis, subsequent investigation by the State labour department had found 29 death cases.
• The deaths could have been easily prevented had the operators adopted occupational safety measures.
• After a social activist came forward to help the innocent villagers and mobilise legal assistance, the labour department sped up the process.

Ordinances should be last resort: Pranab 

• Ordinance route should not be taken on matters which are being considered or have been introduced in the House or a committee of the house.
• If a matter is deemed urgent,the concerned committee should be make aware of the situation and should be mandated to present its report within a stipulated time.
• with the heightened complexity of administration,legislation must be preceded by the scrutiny and adequate discussion .
• scrutiny in committee is no substitute to open discussion on the floor of the house.when the Parliament fails to discharge its law making roles or enacts laws without discussion,it breaches the trust reposed in it by the people.  . 
• Article 123 and Article 213-statement of object and reasons
•   The Bihar State government had approached the Supreme Court after the High Court of Patna declared that repeated re-promulgation of the ordinances was unconstitutional after relying on the D.C. Wadhwa judgment on the dos and don’ts of promulgation of ordinances by another Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in 1986

Suprem Court on state of Bihar vs D C Wahwa case

• In a blow to Ordinance Raj, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court widened the boundaries of judicial review to the extent that it can now examine whether the President or the Governor was spurred by an “oblique motive” to bypass the Legislature and promulgate an ordinance.
• In case the apex court concludes that the President or the Governor was influenced by ulterior motives to promulgate the ordinance, such an act by the two constitutional authorities would amount to a fraud on their powers, the apex court
• “The satisfaction of the President under Article 123 and of the Governor under Article 213 is not immune from judicial review ,”Justice wrote in a common judgement.
• Justice  observed that the apex court would scrutinise whether the satisfaction of the President or the Governor to promulgate an ordinance was based on relevant material or whether it amounted to a “fraud on power or was actuated by an oblique motive.”
• The seminal question that came up in reference before the seven-judge Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur dealt with the constitutionality of seven successive re-promulgations of The Bihar Non-Government Sanskrit Schools (Taking Over of Management and Control) Ordinance of 1989

Forum concerned at ‘secret’ RCEP talks 

• Technical-level talks of the proposed FTA, officially known as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), are being held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre from July 18 to 28.
• Liberalised norms:The RCEP, among other things, aims to liberalise investment norms as well as boost trade by eliminating/ drastically reducing import duties on goods and bringing down ‘barriers’ in the services sector
•  After a daylong meeting, the People’s Resistance Forum against FTAs and RCEP, an umbrella body representing farmers, industrial workers and service sector employees, street vendors, HIV-positive persons, tribal people, environmental activists and women’s organisations, among others, said in a statement that the RCEP would have wide-ranging impact on agriculture, services, access to medicines, investment and e-commerce

Russia keen on selling MiG-35 jets to India

• Russia is keen on selling its new fighter jet MiG-35 to India with the MiG corporation’s chief saying the country has evinced interest in the aircraft and talks were on to understand its requirements.
• It is said to be better than Lockheed Martin’s fifth-generation combat aircraft F-35.  
• He claimed that the MiG-35 would beat the American jet in air-to-air combat.
• The MiG-35 is Russia’s most advanced 4++ generation multipurpose fighter jet developed on the basis of the serial-produced MiG-29K/ KUB and MiG-29M/M2 combat aircraft 

MPC members to get ₹1.5 lakh per meet, must disclose assets 

The government appointees on the powerful Monetary Policy Committee will be paid ₹1.5 lakh per meeting along with air travel and other reimbursements, but will need to observe a “silent period” seven days before and after the rate decision for “utmost confidentiality”.

The silent period and confidentiality requirements will also apply to the three RBI members, including the Governor, on the panel that has been deciding on policy rates since October last year, the central bank has said. 

‘Conflict of interest’
Other Regulations:

• The six-member MPC, constituted in September 2016, has three persons appointed by the central government while the rest, including the Governor, are from the RBI.
• The panel is required to meet at least four times in a year and the RBI has been convening a bi-monthly meeting of this committee
• They are also required to be mindful of, and weigh carefully, any scope for conflict between personal interest and public interest While interacting with profit-making organisations or making personal financial decisions.
•  The regulations further said the schedule of the MPC meetings for the entire fiscal year needs to be announced in advance. 
• At least 15 days of notice is required for convening a meeting ordinarily, but an emergency meeting can be called with 24 hours notice for each member and technology-enabled arrangements need to be made for even shorter notice period meetings.  
• “Members shall observe a silent or blackout period starting seven days before the voting/decision ray and ending seven days after the day policy is announced. During this period, they will avoid public comment on issues related to monetary policy other than through the MPC’s communication framework