Topics Covered
- Fugitive Economic Offenders Act
- Livestock census
- Reiwa
- Fourth Stage of PSLV C-45
- Facts for Prelims – Vanatu
1 . Fugitive Economic Offenders Act
Syllabus : – General Studies 2 – Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Context : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday told the Bombay High Court that the Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO) Act has been enforced to ensure that fugitive economic offenders like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi return to India to face action in accordance with law.
About Fugitive Economic Offender Act
- The Act allows for a person to be declared as a fugitive economic offender (FEO) if: (i) an arrest warrant has been issued against him for any specified offences where the value involved is over Rs 100 crore, and (ii) he has left the country and refuses to return to face prosecution.
- To declare a person an FEO, an application will be filed in a Special Court (designated under the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002) containing details of the properties to be confiscated, and any information about the person’s whereabouts. The Special Court will require the person to appear at a specified place at least six weeks from issue of notice. Proceedings will be terminated if the person appears.
- The Act allows authorities to provisionally attach properties of an accused, while the application is pending before the Special Court.
- Upon declaration as an FEO, properties of a person may be confiscated and vested in the central government, free of encumbrances (rights and claims in the property). Further, the FEO or any company associated with him may be barred from filing or defending civil claims.
2 . Livestock Census
Syllabus : – General Studies 3 – Economics of animal-rearing.
Context : 20th Livestock Census is likely to conclude shortly
About Live Stock Census
- Aim and Objectives of the Census: To formulate, implement, monitor and evaluate any programme/scheme of the Government or private organizations meant for bringing further improvement in Livestock Sector the basic data of population of different species of livestock alongwith their characteristics such as age-sex and use, availability of infrastructure, etc. are required. The aim of Livestock Census is to collect detailed information on livestock population category wise along with age, sex-composition, etc. It also provides disaggregated information on poultry, animal operated agricultural implements and machinery and fishery statistics. Enumeration is done on all India basis and covers district-wise information with rural/urban break-up. In addition to this, it provides Breedwise information on Livestock.
- Year when the Census started: Keeping in view the importance of livestock sector the first Livestock Census was conducted during the year 1919-1920. Thereafter it is being conducted quinquennially (conducted once in every five years)
- Implementing Agencies: The ultimate responsibility for conducting the Livestock Census rests with the Animal Husbandry Departments of the States/UTs. The Central Government coordinates the work of the States and gives necessary guidance to ensure uniformity in collection of census data.
- Target/Group/Beneficiaries: Livestock Census data are primarily used by Central and State Departments of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Veterinary services and the Department of Fisheries for formulation of various plan schemes, programmes etc. and to generate estimates of production. In addition, other related national/international organizations/departments in the sector, industry, research organizations, etc. are the users of census data.
- Pattern of Assistance: It is a Central Sector Scheme with 100% central assistance.
20th Livestock Census
- The current round is counting a larger number of species besides the regular cattle such as mithun, yak, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, dogs, rabbits, elephants and poultry birds. It is counting stray and abandoned animals as well.
- To streamline the process and eliminate error, the ongoing 20th Livestock Census is harnessing the technological innovations of the digital age. The current Livestock Census heavily leverages information technology to create a high-quality database.
- There is complete elimination of paper, which has been replaced with tablet computers. The 50,000-odd enumerators are capturing the multiple parameters of the Census data on computer tablets and uploading it to the server after online validation by the supervisor, resulting in real-time compilation and updating.
3 . Reiwa
Context : Japan on Monday declared that Reiwa would be name of the new imperial era to begin on May 1, when Crown Prince Naruhito ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne. He will succeed his father, Emperor Akihito, who is abdicating on April 30, ending the 31-year Heisei era.
About Imperial Era
- The imperial era name, or “gengo”, is used on documents, newspapers, calendars and coins. It is the way many Japanese count years, although use of the Western calendar is becoming more widespread, and many use the two systems interchangeably.
Origins of Gengo
- Japan imported the imperial calendar system from China about 1,300 years ago. Starting with the Meiji era (1868-1912), it adopted the practice of “one emperor, one era name.” Previously, era names were sometimes changed mid-reign, such as after disasters. There have been four era names in the modern period: Meiji, Taisho (1912-1926), Showa (1926-1989) and the current Heisei. There were calls to abolish the system after Japan’s 1945 defeat in World War Two, but a law enacted in 1979 after a push by conservatives gave it new legal basis.
About Reiwa
- Under modern guidelines the era name should be appropriate to the ideals of the nation, consist of two Chinese characters, be easy to write and read, not have been used in a combination previously and not be in common use. Scholars and bureaucrats draw up a list of candidates and cabinet makes the final decision. The emperor does not choose the “gengo”.
- The two characters chosen for Reiwa mean “order” or “command” and “peace” or “harmony”. Traditionally, characters were selected from ancient Chinese texts, but this time they were taken from a collection of Japanese classical poetry called Manyoshu.
How Significant is imperial era
- The gengo calendar is declining in popularity as Japan opens up to global influence. According to a recent survey in Japan’s Mainichi newspaper, a third of people mostly used the gengo system, compared to 82% in 1975, while 25% preferred the Western calendar.
- Since both calendars use Western months, many people simply use them alongside each other.
4 . Fourth Stage of PSLV C-45
Syllabus : – General studies 3 – Space
Significance of fourth Stage of PSLV C-45
- The rocket, or the launch vehicle, is only a carrier. Once it places its passenger, or satellite, to its designated orbit in space, it becomes practically useless, adding to the space debris.
- For the last few years, ISRO had been planning to give some life to the rocket — at least to the uppermost part, or the last stage — which remains with the satellite till the ejection.
- The lower parts of the rocket are in any case discarded in the earlier stages and become junk. There is no way to put them to any use. The uppermost stage, however, can be used, at least temporarily. Previously, they would end up in some orbit to wander aimlessly and endlessly.
What purpose will it serve?
- The fourth stage is carrying three kinds of equipment to carry out some measurements and experiments, and a solar panel to provide power to these equipments and enable communication with ground stations.
- One kind of instrument can be used to capture messages transmitted from ships, another can be used by amateur radio operators use for tracking and monitoring position data, and the third can study the structure and composition of the ionosphere.
How long will it function?
- The fourth stage will not have the usual life of a satellite. It can remain alive only for a few weeks or a few months, since it is not equipped with a lot of other things that enable a satellite to exist for longer duration in outer space, like a radiation shield.
- However, this is still good enough time to carry out shorter duration experiments and data collection, like the three on-board instruments are meant to do.
- In future, such an “orbital platform”, as it is being described, can also be used to inject smaller satellites into orbits
PSLV C-45 covered under PIB Analysis of 1st April 2019
5 . Facts for Prelims
Map Marking
- Vanatu is a Pacific island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is 1,750 kilometres (1,090 mi) east of northern Australia, 540 kilometres (340 mi) northeast of New Caledonia, east of New Guinea, southeast of the Solomon Islands, and west of Fiji