Current Affairs For SSC CGL Exam

10 February, 2014

Disabilities rights Bill

• The Rights of the Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, tabled in the Rajya Sabha, has evoked sharp reactions from disabilities rights activists across the country.

• The government had tabled, in a hurry, an older version of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha as the amendments approved by the Cabinet late could not be incorporated in the draft.

• The Chennai-based Disability Rights Alliance (DRA), a conglomerate of disability rights activists, says the Bill is “regressive and retrograde,” and does not adopt the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD) in its true spirit.

• The DRA and several other organisations said Section 110 of the Bill provided that its provisions shall be in addition to, and not in derogation of, the provisions of any other law in force, which effectively meant that all laws which actively discriminated against persons with disabilities remained untouched. This violated the State’s obligation under the U.N. convention to take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to modify or abolish laws, regulations, customs and practices that constituted such discrimination.

• In this Bill, the Right of Equality is curtailed under Section 3(3), which says the right against discrimination exists ‘unless it can be shown that the impugned act or omission is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.’”

• The terms “proportionate means” and “legitimate aim,” it said, are highly subjective and can perpetuate discrimination.

• Further, the statement said, the UNCRPD lays down specific obligations of the State while discussing multiple discrimination faced by women with disabilities. States are obliged to take measures to ensure that they enjoy fully and equally all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

‘Unity Run’

• In their biggest show of strength after statehood was formally proposed for Telangana late last year, a huge number of supporters of unified Andhra Pradesh took to the streets across the south coastal districts in the form of a ‘Run for Samaikyandhra’ and made it clear that they were prepared to take charge of the fight against bifurcation.

• ‘Jai Samaikyandhra’ slogans reverberated in all important towns from Eluru to Nellore while the run at Vijayawada drew a number of people.

• Leaders of Congress, TDP and YSR Congress came together for the cause of a unified State as people turned the heat on them against the backdrop of the urgency with which Central government carried forward the process of bifurcation.

New Prime Minister of Nepal

• The leader of Nepal's largest and oldest political party was elected prime minister with majority support in parliament that is likely to ease the political instability in the Himalayan nation.

• The president of Nepali Congress party, Sushil Koirala, 76, received 405 votes in the 601-member parliament. He was supported by the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist), the second largest party, and some other smaller groups.

• The declaration from Parliament Speaker Surya Bahadur Thapa that Koirala had secured the simple majority to be elected was followed by applause inside the assembly hall. Hundreds of Koirala's supporters stood outside the parliament building.

• A constitution was supposed to have been written by the last Constituent Assembly, which was elected in 2008 following the end of a 10-year Maoist insurgency and the overthrow of the centuries-old monarchy. But the assembly was riven by infighting and never finished its work.

• Koirala, 76, has led his party for the past four years. He also spent six years in jail and nearly 20 years in exile in India because he opposed the autocratic rule of the king.

• Politicians hope the election of Koirala with support from nearly two-thirds of the members of the assembly will bring some political stability to Nepal.

New President of Indian Olympic Association

• The suspended Indian Olympic Association (IOA) amended its constitution and successfully held its elections, taking the first steps to returning to the international fold.

• World Squash Federation president N. Ramachandran was unanimously named as the new president of the IOA in the elections held in the presence of three observers from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) — Pere Miró, IOC Director of NOC Relations, Jérôme Poivey, Head of Institutional Relations in the NOC Relations Department, and Robin Mitchell, head of the IOC delegation.

• Indian athletes at the ongoing Winter Olympics in Sochi are participating under the Olympic flag. However, it is unlikely that the Indians will be able to march under the tricolour during the closing of the Games.

• Most of the office-bearers, including secretary general Rajeev Mehta, were elected unopposed, barring the vice-presidents.

• The IOA was suspended in December 2012 after it went ahead with elections despite IOC’s reservations, electing Abhay Singh Chautala and Lalit Bhanot as president and secretary respectively. Both have been charged by a court of law.

• Under the new constitution, any member against whom charges have been framed by a court of law for an offence that carries imprisonment of more than two years will not be allowed to contest elections and the case will be referred to the IOA Ethics Commission.

India could lose 2nd spot in Test rankings

• Faltering miserably in their ongoing tour of New Zealand, India are in danger of losing their second spot in the ICC Test rankings if Australia win their away series against South Africa.

• Currently occupying second position in ICC Test rankings, India is trailing the two-match series against New Zealand 0-1 after losing the opening match .

• South Africa are leading the table with 133 points, while Australia sits third with 111 points. South Africa will retain the number-one position on the table irrespective of the outcome of the series.

• In case India does not win the second Test, Australia need to draw the series to move into second place. However, if Australia was to lose the series, then there will be no change of positions on the table.

Sources: Various News Papers & PIB

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