Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CSE
Topics Covered
- G-20
- Article 355
- Facts for Prelims
1 . G – 20
Context : Russian President Vladimir Putin received valuable backing from Beijing on Wednesday in a pushback to suggestions by some members that Russia could be barred from the G20 group.
Background
- The G20 was formed in 1999 with the aim of discussing policies in order to achieve international financial stability. This forum was formed as an effort to find a solution to the global economic conditions hit by the global financial crisis in 1997-1999 by involving middle-income countries and having systemic economic influence, including Indonesia.
- On the advice of the G7 Finance Ministers, the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors began holding meetings to discuss the response to the global financial crisis that occurred. After that, the Minister of Finance level meeting is held regularly in the fall.
- Nine years later, on November 14-15 2008, the leaders of the G20 countries gathered for the first G20 Summit. On that occasion, the country’s leaders coordinated the global response to the impact of the financial crisis that occurred in the US at that time and agreed to hold a follow-up meeting.
- To prepare for the annual summit, the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, together with Sherpas meet several times a year.
About G-20
- The G20 is a strategic multilateral platform connecting the world’s major developed and emerging economies.
- The G20 holds a strategic role in securing future global economic growth and prosperity. Together, the G20 members represent more than 80 percent of world GDP, 75 percent of international trade and 60 percent of the world population.
- Starting in 1999 as a meeting for the finance minister and central bank governors, the G20 has evolved into a yearly summit involving the Head of State and Government. In addition to that, the Sherpa meetings (in charge of carrying out negotiations and building consensus among Leaders), working groups, and special events are also organized throughout the year.
Members
- The members of the G20 are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. Spain is also invited as a permanent guest.
- Each year, the Presidency invites guest countries, which take full part in the G20 exercise. Several international and regional organizations also participate, granting the forum an even broader representation.
Governance
- The presidency of the G20 rotates every year among its members, with the country that holds the presidency working together with its predecessor and successor, also known as Troika, to ensure the continuity of the agenda. Currently Italy, Indonesia, and India are the Troika countries.
- The G20 has no permanent secretariat. Agenda and the work coordination is completed by G20 leaders’ personal representatives, known as sherpas together with finance ministers and central bank governors.
- The pinnacle of the G20 work in each cycle is a communiqué expressing members’ commitments and vision for the future, drafted from the chosen recommendations and deliverables from ministerial meetings and other work streams.
2 . Article 355 & 356
Context : Article 355 needed in Bengal: Adhir
Article 355
- Article 355 outlines the duties of the government concerning individual states ensuring that the governance of all states is according to the constitution during an emergency
- Article 355 imposes an obligation upon the Union “to protect every State against external
aggression and internal disturbance and to ensure that the government of every State is carried on in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”. - The Constitution does not expressly provide as to how the duty of the Union to protect a State against external aggression and internal disturbance is to be carried out; obviously, it is left to the judgment of the Union how to meet any such situation, as and when it arises, but it does provide, in article 356, the manner in which it has to perform its duty to ensure that the government of every State is carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
Article 356
- The imposition of Article 356 of the Constitution on a State following the failure of constitutional machinery is called President’s Rule in India.
- Under this Article if the president, on receipt of report from the governor of a state or otherwise, is satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the government of the state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, the president can impose president’s rule
- Once the President’s Rule has been imposed on a state, the elected state government will be temporarily dissolved, and the Governor, who is appointed by the government at the Centre, will replace the Chief Minister as the chief executive of the State.
- The state will fall under the direct control of the Union government, and the Governor will continue to be head the proceedings, representing the President of India – who is the Head of the State.
- Article 356 is inspired by sections 93 of the Government of India Act, 1935, which provided that if a Governor of a province was satisfied that a situation had arisen in which the government of the province cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the said Act, he could assume to himself all or any of the powers of the government and discharge those functions in his discretion.
- The imposition of the President’s rule requires the sanction of both the houses of Parliament. If approved, it can go on for a period of six months.
- However, the imposition cannot be extended for more than three years, and needs to be brought before the two houses every six months for approval.
How long President’s Rule can last
- A proclamation of President’s Rule can be revoked through a subsequent proclamation in case the leader of a party produces letters of support from a majority of members of the Assembly, and stakes his claim to form a government. The revocation does not need the approval of Parliament.
When can President’s Rule be imposed on a state?
- State Legislature is unable to elect a leader as Chief Minister
- If the ruling party or coalition does not have numbers to prove majority in the Assembly.
- If the breakdown of law and order situation takes place in the state.
- Loss of majority in the state assembly
- If elections are postponed due to inevitable reasons.
3 . Facts for Prelims
DCC & CDMC
- DCC is an institutional mechanism with representation from various stakeholder Ministers and departments for efficient decision making on all the issues with respect to COVID-19-related drugs, the CDMC, set up in the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), looked at the management of smooth supply of drugs used in COVID-19 management.
Lotteries conducted by other states
- The Supreme Court on Wednesday held that a State legislature has the right to impose tax on lotteries conducted by other States within its jurisdiction.
- Betting and gambling’ is part of the State List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.
- The power to tax is on all activities which are in the nature of ‘betting and gambling,’ including lotteries. Since, there is no dispute that lotteries, irrespective of whether it is conducted or organised by the Government of India or the Government of State is ‘betting and gambling’, State legislatures have the power to tax lotteries under Entry 62 of the State List