SC to appoint all-woman panel to oversee relief in Manipur (GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Chief Justice of India announced in open court that the Supreme Court would appoint an all-woman committee of three former High Court judges.
Composition:
- It will be headed by Justice Gita Mittal, former Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court, to provide a “healing touch” in violence-torn Manipur.
- Justice Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, a retired Bombay High Court judge, and Justice Asha Menon, a former Delhi High Court judge, will be the members of the committee.
Terms of reference:
- This will be a broad-based committee which will be constituted to supervise, intervene and monitor relief and rehabilitation, restoration of homesteads, religious places of worships, better relief work, etc.
Inquiry by Manipur govt:
- The Manipur government, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, said it has transferred 11 FIRs concerning sexual violence committed against women, including the Thoubal sexual violence incident, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
- As for the other cases, which would remain with the Manipur Police, the State government said it had formed 42 special investigation teams (SIT).
Monitoring by SC:
- The Supreme Court would direct the Directors-General of Police (DGP) from six States to name six officers of the rank of Deputy Inspector-General to take charge of six SITs each and monitor its work.
- Similarly, the court said it would enforce multiple layers of monitoring of the investigation.
- In the case of the 11 FIRs, the court said it would order five officers of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police or Superintendent of Police from other States to be made a part of the CBI.
LS passes amendment to decriminalise offences in coastal aquaculture biz
(GS Paper 2, Governance)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Lok Sabha passed an amendment bill to decriminalise the offences committed in carrying out the coastal aquaculture activities and ensure ease of doing business.
- The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023, also seeks to expand the scope, remove regulatory gaps and reduce the compliance burden without diluting environmental protection rules in the coastal areas.
Key Highlights:
- To decriminalise the offences, the bill seeks to remove the jail term of up to three years and impose only a penalty of up to Rs 1 lakh.
- It also seeks to fine-tune the operational procedures of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority to make it more responsive to the needs of the stakeholders, promote newer forms of environment-friendly coastal aquaculture like cage culture and seaweed culture, and usher in global best practices in this sector, including mapping and zonation of aquaculture areas, quality assurance and safe aquaculture products.
- It also seeks to encourage the establishment of facilities in areas having direct access to seawater to produce genetically improved and disease-free broodstocks and seed for use in coastal aquaculture besides preventing the use of antibiotics and pharmacologically active substances, which are harmful to human health in coastal aquaculture.
Standing committee:
- After its introduction in the Lok Sabha, it was sent to the standing committee.
- The ministry has accepted 45 amendments of the committee out of 56.
- The government has removed a number of provisions, where imprisonment was there for minor offences.
Rajasthan cabinet approves creation of 19 new districts, three divisions
(GS Paper 2, Governance)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Rajasthan Cabinet gave its approval to a high-level committee's proposal to establish 19 new districts and three additional divisions within the state.
Mandate:
- This decision aims to enhance the administrative framework and accessibility of public services. As a result, Rajasthan's district count will go up from the existing 33 to 50.
- The expansion will alleviate the burden on district headquarters and reduce the need for people to undertake extensive journeys for official matters.
New changes:
- The changes include the division of the Jaipur district into ‘Jaipur’ and ‘Jaipur Rural’, as well as the division of the Jodhpur district into ‘Jodhpur’ and ‘Jodhpur Rural’.
- New districts include Apoongarh, Balotra, Beawar, Deeg, Didwana-Kuchaman, Dudu, Gangapur City, Kekri, Kotputli-Behror, Khairthal-Tijara, Neem ka Thana, Phalodi, Slumber, Sanchore, and Shahpura.
- The state will now consist of 10 divisions, with the introduction of Banswara, Pali, and Sikar as the new divisions.
