Permanent commission for women in armed forces
Why in news?
- The Supreme Court said the armed forces should consider granting permanent commission to women officers who joined forces under the Short Service Commission (SSC) before March 2019.
Key facts:
- The Army had notified permanent commission to women officers, who join the forces under SSC, after March 2019.
- The Supreme Court has now asked the Centre to grant permanent commission to women officers with retrospective effect, i.e. to those serving under SSC before March 2019.
- In the absence of implementation of policy in retrospective effect, women officers working for several years in the armed forces are unlikely to reap the benefits.
- The government had already rolled out a policy in February 2019 granting permanent commission in ten branches of Army – Judge Advocate General, Army Education Corps, Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Army Air Defence, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Army Ordinance Corps and Intelligence.
RBI surplus transfer will be as per panel norms
Why in news?
- Union Finance Minister informed Lok Sabha that transfer of surplus reserves from the RBI to the government in future would depend on net income and other financial parameters of the RBI besides the recommendations of the expert committee on excess capital.
News summary
- The surplus distribution policy of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is determined in accordance with Section 47 of the RBI Act, 1934.
- Section 47 says that “after making provision for bad and doubtful debts, depreciation in assets, contributions to staff and superannuation funds and for all other matters for which provision is to be made by or under this Act or which are usually provided for by bankers, the balance of the profits shall be paid to the central government”.
- The quantum of surplus transfer to the government in the coming years would depend on RBI’s net income, ‘required realised equity’ as a % of RBI’s balance sheet and ‘available realised equity’ as a % of RBI’s balance sheet in the coming years, and shall be governed by the legal provisions of the RBI Act, 1934 read with the recommendations of the committee as accepted by RBI.
Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill
Why in news?
- Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 has been passed by the Parliament after it was passed in Rajya Sabha. The Bill was earlier passed in Lok Sabha in August 2019.
Key facts:
- It seeks to make apolitical the trust that runs Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial by removing the clause pertaining to the President of Congress Party as a permanent member of the trust.
- The Bill also amends to include the Leader of Opposition recognised as such in the House of the People (Lok Sabha) or where there is no such Leader of Opposition, then the Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in that House as a member of the trust.
- The Bill also amends that a nominated trustee may be terminated before the expiry of the period of five years by the Central Government, without assigning any reason.