Category Civics

Where do leaders work?

Many people work in tall skyscrapers, small office buildings, or tiny shops. And people who run governments often work in places that are works of art that look powerful or grand. The buildings in which they work might be gleaming while mansions, majestic palaces, or buildings tucked behind the walls of a fortress. Here are some famous government buildings around the world.

The government of Andorra, one of the world’s smallest countries, meets in the House of Valleys.

The White House, in Washington, D.C., is the home and the office of the president of the U.S.A.

Both houses of the Indian parliament meet in the Parliament House in New Delhi.

The Kremlin, in Moscow, is an old fort. It contains many of Russia’s government buildings.

The British government meets in the Houses of Parliament in London, England.

 

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What is the New Education Policy of India 2020?

The Union Cabinet approved a new National Education Policy (NEP) on July 29 after a gap of 34 years. It promises major changes at every level. Key proposals include a standardized entrance test for universities, four-year undergraduate degrees and abolition of the M.Phil programme. The school system will change to a 5+3+3+4 structure, while the medium of instruction will be the mother tongue or local language till Class V.

The proposed school curricular structure will replace the existing 10+2 (Class 1 to 10 of general education followed by two years of foundational education, 3 years of preparatory, 3 years of middle school and 4 years of secondary school. This will bring the hitherto uncovered age group 3-5 under the formal education system.

It proposes inclusion of vocational education and internships from Class 6. There will be no rigid separation of vocational and academic streams. Instead of just scores, the report card of students will reflect their skills and capabilities. Board exams will continue for Classes 10 and 12, but will be made easier with the aim of ensuring holistic development of students.

For higher education, a single regulator has been proposed to govern all higher education institutions (HEIs), except law and medical colleges. Norms for both, public and private HEIs will be made the same. There will be at least one HEI in each distinct. Top foreign universities will be allowed to set up campuses in India. Flexible undergraduate education of 1 year duration with multiple entry-exit and points appropriate certification is a major change for students.

Another sweeping change was the Ministry of Human Resource Development was renamed the Ministry of Education.

First education policy of the Century

India has had three education policies so far. The first education policy was announced in 1968 when Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister, and the second in 1986 during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as PM. The 1986 policy was revised in 1992 when P.V. Narasimha Rao was the PM. The third is what has been approved by the Union Cabinet under PM Modi recently. A new NEP was part of the BJP manifesto ahead of the 2014 elections. The NEP committee was headed by former ISRO chief K. Kasturirangan.

 

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Why do some states resist the new Motor Vehicle Act?

Several states have opposed the imposition of hefty fines for traffic violations, saying it will overburden people and that it would lead to higher levels of corruption. However, the Central government says it is only a model Act and that the State governments are free to make their own laws and rules.

What are the rules that apply to juvenile drivers under the Act?

In case of accidents involving juvenile drivers, the guardian of the juvenile or the owner of the motor vehicle will be deemed quality. The guardian or owner is punishable with imprisonment for a term of three years and with a fine of ?25000. But the guardian or owner will not be liable if the juvenile has a learner’s license.

What are the states that have revised the fines?

While some States such as Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Gujarat have reduced the fines for various offences. States such as Telengana, Punjab, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have decided not to implement the Motor vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019.

Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Odisha have put the implementation on hold for now. Kerala had initially implemented the new Act, but withdrew it following protests by the people and trade unions. Tamil Nadu has announced that it will reduce the fines.

 

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What is the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act in India?

The new traffic rules under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019, came into force in many states on September 1. Under the Act, heavy fines are imposed for offences such as over-speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without states are not happy with the hefty fines and have opted to reduce the quantum of fines as suggested. What is the scope of the penalties imposed under it? 

The Motor Vehicles Act is an Act of Parliament which regulates all aspects of road transport vehicles. The Motor vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which sought to make changes to the 1988 Act, was passed in the Rajya Sabha in July and in the Lok Sabha in Aught. The new traffic rules with sticker penalties, under the 2019 Act, came into effect on September 1.

How have the penalties been increased under the recently amended Act?

  • The penalties for breaking traffic rules have gone up multi-fold. For driving without a license, the new fine is ?5000, which is 10 times the earlier fine of ?500.
  • The maximum penalty for driving under the influence of alcohol has been increased from ?2000 to ?10000.
  • For speeding or racing, the fine has been increased from ?500 to ? 5000.
  • Not wearing a seatbelt while driving would attract a fine of ? 1000 as against the earlier fine of ?100.
  • If a vehicle manufacturer fails to comply with motor vehicle standards, the penalty will be a fine of up to ?1 Lakh.
  • The Central government may increase the fines by 10% every year.

Why are the other provisions as per the new Act?

  • The new Act has extended the period for renewal of driving licenses from one moth to one year after the date of expiry.
  • The Act also promises to protect those who render emergency medical or non-medical assistance to a victim of an accident, from any civil or criminal liability.
  • The minimum compensation for death or grievous injury in hit-and-run cases has been increased from ?25000 to ?2 Lakh in case of death, and from ?12500 to ?50000 in case of grievous injury.
  • The central government will develop a scheme for cashless treatment of road accident victims during the ‘golden hour’ – the time period of up to one hour following a traumatic injury, during which the likelihood of preventing death through prompt medical care is the highest.
  • The Act requires the Central government to constitute a Motor Vehicle Accident fund, to provide compulsory insurance cover to all road users in the country.

 

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What should be decided during transition period?

The U.K. has to negotiate its future relationship with Europe. Formal negotiations for this will begin on March 3, 2020.

The bulk of these negotiations will focus on the U.K. – EU’s future trading relationship. The U.K. is leaving the EU customs union an common market, so the two sides have two work out a trade agreement, ideally with no tariffs and with minimal barriers.

The two sides also have to discuss

  • Security and law enforcement cooperation
  • Access to fishing waters
  • Banking
  • Aviation standards and safety
  • Supplies of electricity and gas
  • Licensing and regulation of medicines
  • Data and intelligence sharing
  • Manufacturing and a whole lot more.
  • The border between Ireland (which is part of the EU) and Northern Ireland (which is a part of UK and leaving the EU) will remain open. But how to implement customs checks on this border will need to be worked out. 

 

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What has changed after Brexit day?

A transition period has begun immediately after Brexit day and is due to end on December 31, 2020. During this 11-month period, the U.K. will continue to follow EU rules. Britain’s trading relationship will remain the same and it will continue to pay into the EU budget. People travelling to EU member states will not be affected during the transition period. But the UK will no longer have any say in EU policies nor will it be able to attend any meeting of EU leaders.

The transition period is meant to give both sides some breathing space while a new free trade agreement is negotiated.

This is needed because the UK will leave the single market and customs union at the end of the transition. A free trade agreement will allow goods to move around the EU without checks or extra charges.

If a new one cannot be agreed in time, then the UK faces the prospect of having to trade with no deal in place. That would mean tariffs (taxes) on UK goods travelling to the EU and other trade barriers.

 

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