AAI signs MoU with Sweden to facilitate sustainable aviation technology (GS Paper 3, Science and Tech)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and LFV Air Navigation Services of Sweden signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
Details:
- The agreement brings together two air navigation service providers, India and Sweden, with demonstrated capabilities in building and operationalizing the next generation of sustainable aviation technology, to explore smart aviation solutions.
- This MoU shall pave the way for bi-lateral exchange of aviation expertise and technology between the two countries.
- It will allow the Indian companies to accelerate growth while leveraging Swedish innovation and expertise. Under the aegis of the MoU, the companies can collaborate in areas of mutual interest.
Key elements of the MoU:
- Exchange of aviation knowledge and technical transfer program
- Promote close and friendly relations between the two agencies
- Aim to expand technical cooperation in airports
- Support the development of a safe, secure, sustainable, and efficient aviation sector
- Positive contributions in promoting bilateral and international trade
AAI and LFV, both Government agencies of India and Sweden respectively, will jointly collaborate on the following co-operation areas:
- Air Traffic Management
- Air Traffic Control
- Remote Airport Management and Traffic Control
- Airspace Design and Planning
- Airport Design and Infrastructure
- Digitalized Airport and Aviation
- Capability and Training
- Sustainable Airports and Aviation
- Processes for pilots
- Processes for scale-up
Way Forward:
- A Joint Working Group shall be organized to prioritize interest areas and drive collaboration between the two countries.
- This MoU will play a crucial role in furthering government-to-government engagements between India and Sweden in the Aviation sector in addition to other existing engagements such as sustainability, healthcare, innovation, energy, and infrastructure etc.
Govt proposes printing percentage of more key product constituents on front side of package
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Why in news?
Recently, the Consumer Affairs Ministry has proposed printing the percentage of two or more major constituents used in a commodity visibly on the front side of the packaging for the benefit of consumers.
Background:
- This comes as the ministry has observed that many manufacturers, packers and importers are not making important declarations prominently on the front side of the package, which is necessary in the interest of consumers and also violate their consumer right of "Right to be informed".
Proposed constituents:
- The declaration of unique selling point/unique selling proposition (USP) of the product on the front side of the package without its percentage of composition is against the consumer rights.
- In the interest of consumers, the ministry has proposed amendment to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.
- In case a commodity contains more than one constituent, "the front side of the package should have a declaration of two or more prime constituents of the commodity with the brand name and logo. The declaration of two or more prime constituents should contain the percentage/quantity of unique selling point / unique selling proposition (USP) of the product and in the same font size in which the declaration of unique selling point / unique selling proposition (USP) is made.
- This sub-rule is not applicable for mechanical or electrical commodities.
Significance:
- If a brand sells aloevera moisturizer or almond milk/biscuit, then the maximum percentage of content used in making of that product should be aloevera and almond, If it is not, then the product name is misleading and misrepresenting.
- Many blended food and cosmetic products are sold in the market without mentioning the percentage of key constituents on the packaging. Consumers assume the claims made by the brands to be correct, but such claims are mostly misleading.
- Currently, manufacturers list only the ingredients and nutritional information on the back side of the packaging.
SC holds in case of conflict Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code prevails over Customs Act
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Supreme Court held that Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) will prevail over the Customs Act.
Details:
- It held that IBC overrides the Customs Act to the extent that once moratorium proceedings begin under the Code, the customs authority does not have the power to initiate any recovery actions for dues from the corporate debtor.
- It also held that the customs authority cannot claim title over the goods and issue notice to sell the goods in terms of the Customs Act when the liquidation process has been initiated against the corporate debtor.
Case before the Bench:
- A bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana set aside an order of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) by which it had allowed the appeal of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIT-C) against the verdict of NCLT directing the release of certain goods lying in the Customs Bonded Warehouses without payment of customs duty and other levies.
- The top court was hearing an appeal filed by Sundaresh Bhatt, the liquidator of the ABG Shipyard (corporate debtor) was in the business of shipbuilding prior to the initiation of corporate insolvency proceedings against it.
Key Highlights of the judgement:
- The IBC would prevail over the Customs Act, to the extent that once the moratorium is imposed in terms of Sections 14 or 33(5) of the IBC as the case may be, the respondent authority (CBI-C) only has a limited jurisdiction to assess/determine the quantum of customs duty and other levies.
- The respondent authority does not have the power to initiate the recovery of dues by means of sale/confiscation, as provided under the Customs Act.
- After such assessment, the respondent authority has to submit its claims (concerning customs dues/operational debt) in terms of the procedure laid down, in strict compliance with the time periods prescribed under the IBC, before the adjudicating authority (NCLT).
- The bench allowed the liquidator (Bhatt) to immediately secure goods from the customs authority to be dealt with appropriately, in terms of the IBC, and allowed his appeal against the NCLAT.
Section 142A of the Customs Act:
- Section 142A of the Customs Act said the Customs Authorities would have the first charge on the assets of an assessee under the Customs Act, except with respect to cases underCompanies Act 1956, Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act 1993, SARFAESI Act, 2002, and the IBC, 2016.
- It said that accordingly, such an exception created under the Customs Act is duly acknowledged under Section 238 of the IBC as well, and additionally, Section 238 of the IBC clearly overrides any provision of law which is inconsistent with the IBC.
Conclusion:
- It is a clear opinion that the demand notices to seek enforcement of custom dues during the moratorium period would clearly violate the provisions of Sections 14 or 33(5) of the IBC, as the case may be.
- This is because the demand notices are an initiation of legal proceedings against the Corporate Debtor.
Webb telescope detects carbon dioxide for first time on planet outside solar system
(GS Paper 3, Science and Tech)
Why in news?
- The James Webb Telescope, located 15,00,000 kilometers away from Earth, has zoomed in on a planet outside the solar system and found carbon dioxide.
This is the first clear evidence of CO2 on a planet outside the solar system. The planet is the gas giant WASP-39 b.
Details:
- The planet is located 700 light-years away from Earth and provides the first key insights into the composition and formation of an exoplanet outside our system.
- NASA has so far catalogued over 5000 exoplanets outside our solar system as they continue to hunt for probable candidates that could have signs of life.
NIRSpec:
- Researchers used Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) to observe the planet and noticed a small hill between 4.1 and 4.6 microns, which provides detailed evidence for carbon dioxide ever detected in a planet outside the solar system.
- Previous observations of the planet using Hubble had confirmed the presence of water vapor, sodium, and potassium in the planet’s atmosphere.
What is WASP-39 b?
- WASP-39 b is a hot gas giant which is around one-quarter that of Jupiter and the same size as Saturn. The planet has a diameter of 1.3 times greater than Jupiter and has high temperatures ranging up to 900 degrees Celsius.
- The planet orbits very close to its star only about one-eighth the distance between the Sun and Mercury completing one circuit in just over four Earth-days.
- The planet was first discovered over a decade ago in 2011 and was confirmed by the transit method, when the brightness of the star periodically dims due to the presence of a planet around it.
- During the transit, some of the starlight is eclipsed by the planet completely (causing the overall dimming) and some is transmitted through the planet’s atmosphere.
