- GOVT BUYS 71,000 TONNES OF ONION FOR BUFFER STOCK
- The government has procured nearly 71,000 tonnes of onions for buffer stock this year, out of the total target of 5 lakh tonnes.
- This measure aims to stabilize onion prices, which stood at an all-India average retail price of ₹38.67 per kg, with a modal price of ₹40 per kg as of the report.
- Buffer Stockrefers to a reserve of a commodity, in this case, onions, maintained by the government to stabilize prices by regulating supply. The primary purpose of a buffer stock is to prevent price volatility in the market due to fluctuations in supply and demand.
- Purpose: Price Stabilization: To ensure that prices of essential commodities do not spike or plummet drastically, protecting both consumers and producers.
- Food Security: To maintain a steady supply of essential commodities during periods of scarcity or poor harvests.
- Inflation Control: To help control inflation by managing the supply of commodities in the market.
- Governing Laws and Acts: Essential Commodities Act, 1955:
- This Act gives the government the authority to regulate the production, supply, and distribution of essential commodities, and to maintain or increase their supply and ensure equitable distribution and availability at fair prices.
- It allows the government to build buffer stocks of essential commodities to prevent hoarding and black marketing.
- Public Distribution System (PDS): Under the National Food Security Act, 2013, the PDS aims to provide food grains and other essential commodities to the poor at subsidized prices.
- The maintenance of buffer stocks is crucial for the effective functioning of the PDS.
- Price Stabilization Fund (PSF): The PSF was set up to manage the supply and price volatility of important agri-horticultural commodities like onions and potatoes.
- The fund is used for the procurement of these commodities to build buffer stocks and for their release during periods of price spikes.
2. NEW CRIMINAL LAW BILL HAS NO SECTION ON RAPE OF MEN, TRANSGENDER PEOPLE
- Lack of Section on Rape of Men and Transgender People: The soon-to-be implemented Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) does not include any section dealing with the rape of men and transgender persons.
- Recent Case Highlighting the Issue: The suicide of a 23-year-old man, who was gang-raped by four men in Uttar Pradesh, has brought attention to this gap in the new law.
- The U.P. Police filed an FIR against the accused under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with the rape of a man, transgender person, or animal.
- Legal Changes: Section 377: Traditionally dealt with consensual same-sex relations but also covered non-consensual acts and bestiality.
- Supreme Court Ruling: In the Navtej Johar vs. Union of India case, the Supreme Court “read down” Section 377, retaining only the provisions that dealt with non-consensual acts.
- BNS Implementation: With the implementation of BNS, Section 377 will be struck down without an alternative law, making rape of men and transgender persons a non-offense post-July 1, 2024.
- Expert Opinions: Anand Grover (Senior Lawyer): The removal of Section 377 under the guise of “decolonizing criminal laws” will reduce the severity of sentences for such crimes.
- Current laws are not gender-neutral. Section 376 of the IPC deals only with the rape of women.
- The non-inclusion of a Section 377 equivalent will make cases of rape against men and transgender persons less severe in legal terms.
- Karuna Nundy (Advocate): Expresses concern over the lack of provisions for penalizing the rape of men, transgender persons, or animals in the new code.
- Delhi Police Official: Training sessions for BNS did not include instructions on handling rape cases involving men and transgender persons, reflecting a significant oversight in the new law’s framework.
- Broader Implications: Legal and Social: The non-inclusion could lead to a dual legal system where similar cases have different outcomes based on the victim’s gender. This could increase vulnerability among men and transgender persons.
- Need for Advocacy and Reform: The issue highlights the need for continued advocacy to ensure inclusive and comprehensive legal protections for all individuals, regardless of gender.
3. INDIA BLOC LOK SABHA MPs NOT TO ASSIST PRO TERM SPEAKER
- Leaders of the INDIA bloc decided not to assist the pro tem Speaker, Bhartruhari Mahtab, in administering the oath to newly elected Lok Sabha members.
- This decision was taken in protest against the Centre’s decision to ignore the senior-most MP, Kodikunnil Suresh, for the position of pro tem Speaker
4. TAMILNADU HOOCH TRAGEDY
- The number of deaths in the hoochtragedy in Kallakurichi district, Tamil Nadu, rose to 55.
- The CB-CID police arrested several individuals connected to the illicit liquor trade.
- Chief Minister M.K. Stalin held a review meeting to discuss measures to curb illicit liquor
- Illicit liquoris often made using non-standardized and dangerous ingredients, including industrial alcohol, methanol, and other toxic substances. Methanol, in particular, is highly toxic and can cause blindness, organ failure, and death.
- Unlike legally produced alcohol, illicit liquor lacks any form of quality control, leading to unpredictable and often dangerous levels of alcohol content and contaminants.
- Consumption can lead to acute symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, and confusion.
- Severe cases can result in respiratory failure, coma, and death.
- Long-term Health Effects: Chronic consumption can lead to liver damage, cardiovascular diseases, neurological damage, and other serious health issues.
5. ART EMPOWERS VILLAGES IN A ONCE TROUBLED PART OF BENGAL
- The project is led by artist Mrinal Mandal, who has transformed a once nondescript forest village in Jhargram, West Bengal, into an art hub.
- Starting in 2008, Mr. Mandal set up Chalchitra Academy, an artists’ collective, and began holding workshops to train villagers in various forms of traditional art, such as dokra, katum-katum, and kantha stitching.
- By 2018, he returned to Jhargram and made Lalbazar, a village inhabited by the Lodha tribe, his second home, where he continued these workshops.
- Lalbazar has since been dubbed “Khwaabgaon” (village of dreams) due to the transformative impact of his efforts.
- By 2023, Mr. Mandal extended his efforts to include 12 villages, creating a network of art that empowers marginalized communities, many of which were previously hotbeds of the Maoist movement.
- The project aims to make art a way of life and provide economic benefits to these communities.
ONE LINER
- Recent G7 summit held in Italy, India and France have committed to work collaboration on Blue Economy
- Internationally 1 in 4 children suffer from malnutrition – UNICEF and WHO
