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3rd, September, 2022

 

Topic: Crimes against women in Punjab: Conviction low, pendency high

 

Importance: Punjab PCS Prelims and Mains

 

Punjab PCS Prelims: Polity (Current Events)

Punjab PCS Mains:

  • Paper 4: General Aptitude I: Topic: Population and associated issues

 

What is the news?

  • Despite substantial rise in crime against women, the conviction rate remains abysmally low and pendency high in Punjab.

According to the ‘Crime in India’ report for 2021 complied by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB):
  • The conviction rate for crimes related to women was 20.8% in the state, against the national average of 26.5%.
  • The pendency percentage for cases of crimes against women was 90.1.
  • A total of 15,148 cases were in courts for trial, of which 1,116 cases resulted in acquittals, while in 1,473 cases trials were completed and 1,505 cases were disposed of by courts. As many as 307 cases ended in conviction, while 50 cases were discharged, 32 cases were disposed of without trial, 24 cases were quashed and 15 cases were stayed.
  • Crime against women in Punjab recorded a rise of over 17% in 2021 when 5,662 cases were registered in comparison to 4,838 in 2020. As per the data, 11,492 cases were investigated by police in 2021, of which 5,830 were pending cases of the previous year. Cops managed to dispose of 4,972 cases and 6,458 cases were pending at end of the year.
  • Of the cases in 2021, 1,714 relate to cruelty by husband or relative, while 1,576 cases of kidnapping and abduction of women to compel her were lodged in the state, 508 cases of rape and 688 assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty. Chargesheets were filed in 75.3% of cases. Also, 790 cases ended as the final report came as false, while 249 were declared as mistake of fact.
(Source: timesofindia)

 

 

Topic: ‘Inspire Meet’ will be held in all government schools of Punjab

 

Importance: Punjab PCS Prelims and Mains

 

Punjab PCS Prelims: Education (Current Events)

Punjab PCS Mains:

  • Paper 4: General Aptitude I: Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector- Health, Education

 

What is the news?

  • Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains,  announced that an ‘Inspire Meet’ will be held in all government schools of Punjab on September 3, 2022.

Purpose:

  • This will be an interactive event in which the parents will be informed about the performance of the students.
  • They should also pay special attention towards co-educational activities as well as academic activities besides specially inviting parents to participate wholeheartedly in various activities during this event.

 

Education Minister shared:

  • Exhorted all the principals and teachers of the state to ensure more constructive efforts for the all-round development of the students of the government schools.
  • Expressing his views with the principals and teachers of government schools through Eduset, the Education Minister shared his experiences of recent school visits, saying that students of government schools have a lot of talent, which needs to be nurtured and shown the right way.
  • “Aiming at bringing exemplary changes in the education and health sector, Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann led state government was consistently working in this direction”, said the Cabinet Minister.
(Source: Punjab Government)

 

 

Topic: A growth of 23 percent in GST of Punjab

 

Importance: Punjab PCS Prelims and Mains

 

Punjab PCS Prelims: Education (Current Events)

Punjab PCS Mains:

  • Paper 4: General Aptitude I: Topic: Issues relating to the development and management of Social Sector- Health, Education

 

What is the news?

  • Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema  said that the state has registered a growth of 23 percent in GST Revenue during the current fiscal year as compared to the first five months of FY 2021-22.

Finance Minister shared:

  • Finance minister stated that the measures taken by the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann have been proved to be fruitful in plugging the leakages and the increase in revenue has been clearly reflecting in the results.
  • The minister also shared the figures for the state-wise growth of GST revenues during the month of August 2022. Punjab registered a 17 percent growth of GST revenue during August and remained ahead of the large states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan in growth rate.
  • Meanwhile, reiterating the commitment to put the state on a rapid growth rate track to meet the targets fixed in Budget for FY 2022-23.

 

About GST:

1) The idea of a Goods and Services Tax (GST) for India was first mooted sixteen years back, during the Prime Ministership of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Thereafter, on 28th February, 2006, the then Union Finance Minister in his Budget for 2006-07 proposed that GST would be introduced from 1st April, 2010. The Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers (EC), which had formulated the design of State VAT was requested to come up with a roadmap and structure for the GST. Joint Working Groups of officials having representatives of the States as well as the Centre were set up to examine various aspects of the GST and draw up reports specifically on exemptions and thresholds, taxation of services and taxation of inter-State supplies. Based on discussions within and between it and the Central Government, the EC released its First Discussion Paper (FDP) on GST in November, 2009. The FDP spelled out the features of the proposed GST and has formed the basis for the present GST laws and rules.

2) In March 2011, Constitution (115th Amendment) Bill, 2011 was introduced in the Lok Sabha to enable levy of GST. However, due to lack of political consensus, the Bill lapsed after the dissolution of 15th Lok Sabha in August 2013.

3) On 19th December, 2014, The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill 2014 was introduced in the Lok Sabha and was passed by Lok Sabha in May 2015. The Bill was taken up in Rajya Sabha and was referred to the Joint Committee of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha on 14th May, 2015. The Select Committee submitted its report on 22nd July, 2015. Thereafter, the Constitutional Amendment Bill was moved on 1st August 2016 based on political consensus. The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on 3rd August 2016 and by the Lok Sabha on 8th August 2016. After ratification by required number of State legislatures and assent of the President, the Constitutional amendment was notified as Constitution (101st Amendment) Act 2016 on 8th September, 2016. The Constitutional amendment paved way for introduction of Goods and Services Tax in India.

4) After GST Council approved the Central Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 (The CGST Bill), the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 (The IGST Bill), the Union Territory Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 (The UTGST Bill), the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to the States) Bill 2017 (The Compensation Bill), these Bills were passed by the Lok Sabha on 29th March, 2017. The Rajya Sabha passed these Bills on 6th April, 2017 and were then enacted as Acts on 12th April, 2017. T 2015. 6 on 08.09.2016

5) Thereafter, State Legislatures of different States have passed respective State Goods and Services Tax Bills. After the enactment of various GST laws, GST was launched with effect from 1st July 2017 by Sh.Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India in the presence of Sh.Pranab Mukherjee, the then President of India in a mid-night function at the Central Hall of Parliament of India.

(Source: Punjab Government)

 

 

Topic: NITI Aayog promises fillip to Punjab agriculture economy

 

Importance: Punjab PCS Prelims and Mains

 

Punjab PCS Prelims: Key challenges and responses : Agriculture

Punjab PCS Mains:

  • Paper 4: General Aptitude I: Topic: Geography of Punjab: Location and agriculture

 

What is the news?

  • The NITI Aayog will help Punjab take its agriculture to the next level from a wheat-paddy monoculture. This will help the farmers raise their incomes by diversifying the state’s agriculture to include the cultivation of cash crops and go in for allied agriculture activities.

How it will help?

  • The country’s premier public policy planning think-tank will also be helping the state to better utilise the funds that come under various Centrally-sponsored schemes for agriculture. In the past couple of years, Punjab has failed to utilise the Central funds under schemes like Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and eNAM.

 

Prof Ramesh Chand, member, NITI Aayog, shared:

  • They would help Punjab achieve its goals of crop diversification, besides helping in implementing the Central schemes for farmers’ welfare. He was in the town to meet Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal. “We have agreed to work together to achieve the goals set by the Punjab Government for uplifting the rural economy. Other than agriculture, we also held a discussion on improving rural infrastructure and help in creating a vibrant and prosperous rural community.
  • Official sources said both side agreed on the need to better utilise the resources offered by the Centre for agriculture and rural development, by ensuring that the state offers its share of the grant for the Central schemes.
(Source: The Tribune)