Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 23 May 2015

::National:

SC sets deadline for road safety directives

The Road Safety Committee formed by the Supreme Court to check lax enforcement of road laws has set the States a June 30 deadline to enforce 13 of its directives. They include removal of roadside advertisements and posters that obstruct the view of drivers or distract them and a ban on sale of liquor on National and State highways.
The former Supreme Court judge K.S. Radhakrishnan, who heads the committee, met presspersons to discuss the committee’s work. The panel has asked the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry to introduce uniform crash tests for all categories of vehicles so that manufacturers do not discriminate between the base and higher models in the provision of safety features.

Law Commission submits its report on Reforms in Guardianship and Custody Laws

The Law Commission of India has submitted its Report on “Reforms in Guardianship and Custody Laws in India” to the Union Minister of Law and Justice. The report suggests amendments to existing laws to emphasize the “welfare of the child” in custody and guardianship matters, and introduces the concept of joint custody as an option to be considered in certain cases.

The key aspects of the legislative recommendations are as follows:

Welfare principle: The draft law strengthens the welfare principle in the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890, with a continuous emphasis on its relevance in each aspect of guardianship and custody related decision-making
Abolition of preference: The draft law removes the preference for the father as the natural guardian under Hindu law, and both parents are granted equal legal status with respect to guardianship and custody.
Joint custody: The draft law empowers courts to award joint custody to both parents in circumstances conducive to the welfare of the child, or award sole custody to one parent with visitation rights to the other.
Mediation: Parties to a custody matter must ordinarily consider expert-led and time-bound mediation, which can not only promote better outcomes for parents and children, but also reduce the strain on the overburdened court system.
Child support: The draft law empowers courts to fix an amount specifically for child support, to meet basic living expenses of the child. Financial resources of parents, and the standard of living of the child must be considered when fixing such amounts. Child support must continue till the child turns 18, but may be extended till 25; or longer, in case of a child with mental or physical disability.
Guidelines: The draft law includes detailed guidelines to help courts, parents and other stakeholders arrive at the best arrangement to serve the welfare of the child. The guidelines introduce several new concepts in this regard, including parenting plans, grand parenting time, visitation rights, and relocation of parents. They also elaborate the position on related aspects such as determining the intelligent preference of a child, access to records of the child, and mediation.

CCI orders probe against Ericsson

Fair trade regulator CCI ordered a detailed probe against Swedish telecom giant Ericsson, after it ‘prima facie’ found the company in violation of the competition norms.
The order follows complaints that the practices adopted by Ericsson with regard to royalty rates were discriminatory as well as contrary to FRAND ((fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) terms.
The royalty rate being charged by Ericsson has no linkage to the functionality of the patented product rather it has linkage to the final price of the manufactured product in which the patent is being used.
Ericsson seems to be acting contrary to the FRAND terms by imposing royalties linked with the cost of manufacturing product. Charging of two different licence fees per phone for use of the same technology, prima facie, appears to be discriminatory.

::Environment:

News species of fish discovered in Western Ghats

Ecologists have discovered a new species of fish called Pethia striata in Tunga River in the Kudremukh National Park, Western Ghats, Karnataka. The male of the species measures 3-4cm in length and is red in colour, while the female is grey with a striking pattern of scales. The discovery of the new species was published in the journal of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists by researchers from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) .
The fish from Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot, is currently known to be found only in the two streams of Mudba and Turad, a region populated by wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. Pethia striata is found in small groups of 3-4 individuals in shallow pools and would be an addition to the largest family of fish, scientifically called Cyprinidae, which includes common carp, goldfish, and zebrafish.
Freshwater biodiversity is one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world, especially in India. Some of the recently discovered new species in the Western Ghats include a little jumping spider in the Southern Ghats, a new frog species in Central Ghats.

::Sports:

Sport Ministry urges IPC to allow Indian athletes to participate in competitions

The Union Sports Ministry has urged the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to allow Indian athletes to participate in various competitions under the National Flag.
In a recent communication, the IPC had said that despite the suspended status of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) the Indian para-athletes would be allowed to compete in various events.
The letter said till the time the IPC decides on the constitution of an ad-hoc body to administer para-sports in the country, entries of the para-athletes might be allowed to be routed through the Sports Authority of India.