ASSAM

Guwahati slumps from 26th spot to 81st in Smart Cities list

The delay in starting the major projects under the Guwahati Smart City Limited (GSCL), has made Guwahati slump from the 26th position to the 81st in the list of smart cities in the last three years.

At the initial stage they had proposed some major projects like pan city, development of the Borsola Beel, development of the Bharalu river, development of the Deepor Beel, development of the Morabharalu river, development of the Brahmaputra riverfront, installation of smart bio-toilets and water ATMs, refurbishment of the Gandhi Mandap, etc.

The project was started in April, 2018 and the total project cost was Rs 2.92 crore. It is noteworthy that the flag pole is the tallest in the country with respect to the average elevation of the city. If only the height of the pole is considered, it is the third highest in the country after the one on the Attari border which is 360 feet high, and the one at Pimpri Chinchwad Bhakti Shakti Chawk in Pune that has a height of 351 feet.

INTERNATIONAL

New Zealand plans to ease abortion restrictions

New Zealand’s government announced Monday that it plans changes to the country’s abortion laws that would treat the procedure as a health issue rather than a crime.
While abortions have been available in New Zealand for decades, the procedure is still regulated under the Crimes Act which came into force in 1961.
The proposed new law would remove that requirement for women who are up to 20 weeks pregnant. For those more than 20 weeks pregnant, a doctor or health practitioner would still need to approve the procedure.

NATIONAL

Centre scraps Article 370, bifurcates J & K into two Union Territories

Article 35(A) stems from Article 370, and was introduced through a Presidential Order in 1954, on the recommendation of the J&K Constituent Assembly. This article empowered the state legislature to define who the state’s ‘permanent residents’ were, along with their special rights and privileges.

The Changes :

J&K has been reorganised into two Union territories— Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Jammu and Kashmir will have a legislature like Delhi and Puducherry, where key subjects like law and order are with the Centre.

Ladakh will have no legislature like Chandigarh.

The Governor of Jammu and Kashmir will now become a Lieutenant Governor.

After the revocation of 370, there will be no separate constitution for J&K and its citizens.

Before Article 370 – The J&K State had two different flags of India and the state.

After Article 370 – There will be no separate flag for J&K and it will be at par with the entire country.

Before Article 370 – Only people who had citizenship of J&K could buy and sell property.

After Article 370 – Indian citizens from other states of the country can buy and sell property in J&K.

Before Article 370 – The citizens of the state enjoyed dual citizenship which was of the state and India both.

After Article 370 – The citizens have just one citizenship which will be prevalent to all other citizens of the state.

Before Article 370 – Except for defense, foreign affairs, finance, and communications, Parliament needs the state government’s approval for applying any laws.

After Article 370 – The Parliament can implement any law without the state’s approval which also includes changing the state’s name and its boundaries.

Before Article 370 – J&K had separate national anthems during the application of the article which was of the state and the country.

After Article 370 – There will be only one national anthem for the entire country.

Before Article 370 – Only state laws could apply before and the central government had no authority to declare financial emergencies.

After Article 370 – Central laws can directly be applied and it can declare financial emergencies under article 360 in J&K.

Before Article 370 – The citizens of J&K had separate laws related to citizenship, ownership of property, and fundamental rights.

After Article 370 – There will be no separate laws for the citizens of J&K. It will be the same as the rest of the country.

India test-fires Surface to Air-Missile from Chandipur in Odisha

India successfully test-fired its all-weather tracked-chassis Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QR-SAM) from a mobile launcher at launch complex III of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha.

It was the second developmental trial of the missile in this year from the same test range.

Earlier, the surface-to-air missile was tested successfully on Feb 26, 2019.

Jointly developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Bharat Electronics Ltd, the QR-SAM weapon system is a quick reaction, network-centric missile system capable of search-on-the-move.

QR-SAM system can also engage multiple targets within a range of around 25 to 30 km with two vehicle configuration for area air defence.

· Lok Sabha passed the Surrogacy Regulation Bill

The Bill aims to bancommercial surrogacy in the country. It was introduced by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.

The Bill regulatesaltruistic surrogacy and ends the exploitation of women who are lending their womb for surrogacy.

It provides provisions to protect therights of children born through surrogacy.

The Bill allows only altruistic surrogacy by infertile Indian couples, who are legally married for at least 5 years, from a close relative. It prohibits foreigners, Non-resident Indians (NRI) Person of Indian Origins (PIO) from commissioning surrogacy.

The Bill will establish National and State Surrogacy Boards, the appointment of appropriate authorities for the regulation of the practice and process of surrogacy.

Commercial surrogacyincludes a monetary benefit or reward (in cash or kind) that exceeds basic medical expenses and insurance for the surrogate mother. The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill 2019 bans this type of surrogacy.

· Lok Sabha passed the 2019 Transgender Persons Protection of Rights Bill

The Bill establishes anational security authority to safegaurd the rights of the transgenders

It will provide a mechanism for social, economic and educational empowermentof transgenders

As per the Bill, irrespective of sex reassignment surgery and hormonal therapy, a person would have the right to choose to be identified as a man, woman or transgender

The Bill requires a transgender person to go through a district magistrateand district screening committee to get certified as a transperson

It removes the provision that criminalised begging by transgender people. This provision was part of the Bill when it was introduced

It will benefit the transgender people who are discriminated and abused against the marginalised section of the society

It prohibits discrimination against a transgender person in the field of education, employment and healthcare

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