16 April 2024, The Indian EXPRESS
Foreign entities are funding NGOs to stall public projects: I-T Dept to top court
Page no-2
GS2- the Role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders
- There is “a concerted effort by foreign entities in funding Indian NGOs/Trusts in order to stall the public projects and affect the economic interests of India”, the Income Tax Department told the Supreme Court while opposing the plea by NGO Environics Trust challenging the notice issued to it by the department for reassessment of tax returns.
- In an affidavit filed before the top court, the I-T department said its investigation wing had initiated a survey against the NGO on September 7, 2022 and “after analysing the material and based on independent application of mind to the evidence, it was found that” its “activities are neither genuine nor being carried out as per the objects of the Trust”.
Complying with top court orders, Centre makes ‘deemed’ forest report public
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GS3- Conservation of wildlife
- In compliance with a recent Supreme Court order, the Environment Ministry has released reports from 22 state governments and four Union Territories identifying the forest areas under their jurisdiction, but data in several of these reports appear to be incomplete or lacking details sought by the apex court.
- The Supreme Court had, on February 19 this year, asked the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to obtain and submit a “comprehensive” record of land identified as forests by expert committees set up for this purpose in each of the states as per an earlier direction of the court.
Iran-Israel escalation could cast shadow on India’s oil trade
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GS3- Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development
- Any escalation in the Iran-Israel conflict could impact India by way of costlier crude oil imports as geopolitical tensions in West Asia would bump up risk premiums, apart from fuelling concerns of potential supply disruptions from the oil-rich region.
- According to industry insiders, while the situation is still developing and it would take a few days to assess the real risk to regional and global oil flows, international oil prices could see high volatility in the immediate-to-near term.
- India is the world’s third-largest consumer of crude oil and depends on imports to meet over 85 per cent of its requirement.
- Given the country’s extremely high import dependency, India’s economy is highly sensitive to oil price volatility.
- Apart from inflationary pressures, high oil prices have implications for India’s trade balance, foreign exchange reserves, the value of the rupee, and the overall health of the economy.
Step back now
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GS2- Effect of Policies and Politics of Developed and Developing Countries on India’s interests
- The attack on Israel — Iran launched over 300 missiles and drones on Saturday — could mark either an ominous chapter in an escalating conflict, or lead to a much-needed pause in a region rocked by violence.
- The unprecedented attack on Israeli soil — the last time a similar strike took place was during the first Gulf War — was a response to the airstrike, allegedly by Israel, on an Iranian consulate building in Damascus.
- Several people were killed in that attack, including senior officers of the Revolutionary Guard.
- Nearly all of the missiles and drones launched by Iran were neutralised by Israel’s missile defence systems as well as those of friendly nations and there has been minimal damage to property and no loss of life.
- Iran’s mission to the UN stated that the attack was a proportionate response under the Charter for Self-Defence and that Tehran considered “the matter concluded”.
- The ball is now in the Benjamin Netanyahu government’s court.
Tamil Nadu’s Decentralised Industrialisation Model
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- GS3- Infrastructure
Tamil Nadu, which votes on April 19, is India’s No.1 state in terms of economic complexity, measured by the diversity of its gross domestic product (GDP) and employment profile.
- The table below shows the farm sector's share in TN's gross value added (GVA; i.e. GDP net of product taxes and subsidies) and also in its employed labour force to be well below the national average.
- The lower dependence on agriculture is matched by the higher shares of industry, services and construction in its economy relative to all-India.
Even if convicted, Trump could be president again, here’s why
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GS2- Comparison of the Indian Constitutional Scheme with that of Other Countries
- Donald Trump became the first former US president to face a criminal trial on Monday, when he appeared in a New York court on charges that he illegally covered up a hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
- How will a conviction — if there is one at all — impact his bid to become president once again?
A&N Islands, through a strategic lens
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- GS3- Security Challenges and their Management in Border Areas
The transformation of India’s Look East policy into a robust Act East policy, a realisation of the critical importance of ocean power, and the rapid enhancement in the capabilities of the Chinese People Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, have brought a degree of seriousness to the imperative of developing Indian island territories in general, and the Andaman and Nicobar group in particular.
- The recent thrust on developing strategic infrastructure, both civilian and military, on the islands is welcome — and decades overdue.
- The neglect of this strategic island group betrays a lack of strategic maritime vision in the decades since Independence.
