Budget Session 2019 of Parliament concludes The Budget Session of Parliament ended on August 7, 2019.[1] Initially, the session was planned to be held from June 17, 2019 to July 26, 2019. Later, it was extended until August 7, 2019. This was the first session of Parliament after the elections for the 17th Lok Sabha.

40 Bills were introduced during the session. These included the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2019, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019, and the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019.

Parliament passed 28 Bills (excluding the Finance and Appropriation Bills). Bills that were passed include the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, the Consumer Protection Bill, 2019, and the National Medical Commission Bill, 2019.

For more details on legislative business taken up during the Budget Session 2019, please see here. For details on the functioning of Parliament during the session, please see here.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (at constant 2011-12 prices) of the country grew at 5% during the first quarter of 2019-20, over the corresponding period a year ago.[2] The quarterly trend of GDP growth is shown in Figure 1.

GDP growth across economic sectors is measured in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA). The growth rate of combined GVA for all sectors decreased from 7.7% in the first quarter of 2018-19 to 4.9% in the first quarter of 2019-20. The growth rate of GVA decreased for all sectors, except for electricity and mining. It increased from 6.7% to 8.6% for electricity, and from 0.4% to 2.7% for mining. Note that, the manufacturing sector saw a decrease from 12.1% in 2018-19 (Q1) to 0.6% in 2019-20 (Q1). Table 1 shows details on sectoral GVA growth.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) released its third bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement of 2019-20.[3] The policy repo rate (the rate at which RBI lends money to banks) was decreased from 5.75% to 5.4%. Other decisions of the MPC include:

The reverse repo rate (the rate at which RBI borrows money from banks) was decreased from 5.5% to 5.15%. The marginal standing facility rate (the rate at which banks can borrow additional money) and the bank rate (the rate at which the RBI buys or rediscounts bills of exchange) were reduced from 6% to 5.65%.

The MPC decided to maintain the accommodative stance of monetary policy. Industrial production grew by 3.6% in the first quarter of 2019-20

The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) grew by 3.6% in the first quarter (April-June) of 2019-20, as compared to the same period in 2018-19.[4] Electricity saw the highest increase of 7.2%, followed by an increase of 3.1% in manufacturing, and 3% in mining. Figure 2 shows the year-on-year growth in industrial production (overall and across sectors) for the first quarter of 2019-20.

The special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 was repealed by the central government.[5] According to the Article, the power of Parliament to legislate with respect to Jammu and Kashmir was restricted to defence, external affairs, communications, and central elections. However, the President could extend other central laws, with the concurrence of the state government.

A resolution was adopted by Parliament recommending that the provisions of Article 370 be made inoperative, and that it be amended to state that all provisions of the Constitution would apply to Jammu and Kashmir.[6] On the basis of this resolution, the President issued a notification making Article 370 inoperative.

Parliament passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019.[7] The Bill reorganises the state of Jammu and Kashmir into the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and the Union Territory of Ladakh. Key features of the Bill are as follows:

Reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir: The Bill reorganises the state of Jammu and Kashmir into: (i) the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir with a legislature, and (ii) the Union Territory of Ladakh without a legislature. The Union Territory of Ladakh will comprise Kargil and Leh districts, and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will comprise the remaining territories of the existing state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Lieutenant Governor: The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be administered by the President, through an administrator appointed by him known as the Lieutenant Governor. The Union Territory of Ladakh will be administered by the President, through a Lieutenant Governor appointed by him.

Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir: The Bill provides for a Legislative Assembly for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The total number of seats in the Assembly will be 107. Of these, 24 seats will remain vacant on account of certain areas of Jammu and Kashmir being under the occupation of Pakistan. The Assembly may make laws for any part of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir related to: (i) any matters specified in the State List of the Constitution, except “Police” and “Public Order”, and (ii) any matter in the Concurrent List applicable to Union Territories. Further, Parliament will have the power to make laws in relation to any matter for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Extent of laws: The Schedule lists 106 central laws that will be made applicable to Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on a date notified by the central government. These include the Aadhaar Act, 2016, the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Right to Education Act, 2009. Further, it repeals 153 state laws of Jammu and Kashmir. In addition, 166 state laws will remain in force, and seven laws will be applicable with amendments. These amendments include lifting of prohibitions on lease of land to persons who are not permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

Timeline for NRC appeals extended Under the Citizenship (Registration of Citizenship and National Identity Card) Rules, 2003, a National Register of Indian Citizens (NRC) is being prepared in Assam.[8] Any person whose name has been excluded or incorrectly included in the NRC can register a complaint with the Local Registrar of Citizen Registration. Earlier, appeals against decisions of the Registrar could be made to the Tribunals constituted under the Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 1964, within 60 days. The Rules were amended to extend the timeline for appeal from 60 to 120 days.[9]

Note that the final National Register of Indian Citizens in Assam was published on August 31, 2019. The list leaves out 19,06,657 persons.[10]

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in consultation with the central government, had constituted a Committee (Chair: Dr. Bimal Jalan) to review the current economic capital framework, in November 2018.[11] The Committee has submitted its report.[12] The economic capital framework provides a methodology for determining the appropriate level of risk provisions and profit distribution to be made under Section 47 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. The terms and reference of the Committee included determining whether RBI is holding reserves in surplus/deficit and proposing a suitable surplus distribution policy. In this regard, the Committee recommended:

Economic capital of a central bank includes its realised equity and revaluation balances. The realised equity consists of: (i) Contingency Fund, which represents provisions made for unforeseen contingencies, (ii) Asset Development Fund, which represents the amount set aside for investment in subsidiaries and internal capital expenditure, (iii) Capital and Reserve fund. Revaluation balances are unrealised gains, net losses resulting from movement of exchange rate, gold price and interest rate.

The current surplus distribution policy targets only the total economic capital. The Committee recommended that the target should also include realised equity. The realised equity (which would be required to cover monetary, financial stability risks, credit risks and operational risks) must be maintained between 5.5% to 6.5% of the RBI’s balance sheet (current target: 3% to 4%). The total economic capital should be maintained between 20.8% to 25.4% of the balance sheet (current target: 28.1% to 29.1%).

If the realised equity is above the required levels, the entire net income of RBI will be transferred to the government. If it is lower, risk provisioning will be made to the necessary extent and only the residual net income will be transferred. This framework may be reviewed every five years.

The RBI Board has accepted all the recommendations of the Committee. Based on accounts for 2018-19, the available realised equity stood at 6.8% of balance sheet. This is higher than the upper bound recommended by the Committee. The Board decided to maintain the realised equity level at 5.5% of balance sheet, and transfer the resultant excess risk buffer of Rs 52,637 crore to the government.

As per the revised framework, the economic capital of RBI (as on June 30, 2019) stood at 23.3% of balance sheet, which is within the range recommended by the Committee. Hence, the Board decided to transfer the entire net income for 2018-19, that is Rs 1,23,414 crore, to the government.

The Finance Minister, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, announced several measures related to public sector banks (PSBs). This includes merging 10 PSBs into four PSBs in order to help achieve scale and higher capacity to increase credit.[13] The banks to be merged are:

Punjab National Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, and United Bank of India will be merged into one bank, with Punjab National Bank being the anchor bank (larger bank with which others will be merged). The resultant bank will be the second largest PSB in the country, with total business of Rs 17.94 lakh crore.

Canara Bank (anchor bank) and Syndicate Bank will be merged into one bank. This bank will be the fourth largest PSB (total business size of Rs 15.2 lakh crore).

Union Bank of India (anchor bank), Andhra Bank, and Corporation Bank of India will be merged into a single bank, resulting in the fifth largest PSB (total business size of Rs 14.59 lakh crore). Indian Bank (anchor bank), and Allahabad Bank will be merged into a single bank, resulting in the seventh largest PSB (total business size of Rs 8.08 lakh crore).

The Minister also announced capital infusion of Rs 55,250 crore into 10 PSBs. These include Rs 16,000 crore into Punjab National Bank, Rs 11,700 crore into Union Bank of India and Rs 7,000 crore into Bank of Baroda, among others.

The Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha.[14] The Bill amends the Chit Funds Act, 1982. Key features of the Bill include:

Names for a chit fund: The Act specifies various names which may be used to refer to a chit fund. These include chit, chit fund, and kuri. The Bill additionally inserts ‘fraternity fund’ and ‘rotating savings and credit institution’ to this list.

Presence of subscribers through video-conferencing: The Act specifies that a chit will be drawn in the presence of at least two subscribers. The Bill seeks to allow these subscribers to join via video-conferencing.

Foreman’s commission: Under the Act, the ‘foreman’ is responsible for managing the chit fund. He is entitled to a maximum commission of 5% of the chit amount. The Bill seeks to increase the commission to 7%. Further, the Bill allows the foreman a right to lien against the credit balance from subscribers.

Aggregate amount of chits: Under the Act, chits may be conducted by firms, associations or individuals. The Act specifies the maximum amount of chit funds which may be collected. These limits are: (i) one lakh rupees for chits conducted by individuals, and for every individual in a firm or association with less than four partners, and (ii) six lakh rupees for firms with four or more partners. The Bill increases these limits to three lakh rupees and 18 lakh rupees, respectively.

Application of the Act: Currently, the Act does not apply to: (i) any chit started before it was enacted, and (ii) any chit (or multiple chits being managed by the same foreman) where the amount is less than Rs 100. The Bill removes the limit of Rs 100, and allows the state governments to specify the base amount over which the provisions of the Act will apply.

The Task Force on Offshore Rupee submitted its report.[15],[16] It was setup by the RBI in February 2019 to examine issues related to the offshore rupee markets, its effect on rupee exchange rate, and recommend appropriate policy measures.[17]

Offshore markets enable participants to trade in non-convertible currency, keeping trading outside the ambit of domestic authorities. RBI’s policy focus has been to align incentives for non-residents to gradually move to the domestic market. However, in recent years, there has been a sharp growth in offshore rupee markets, which has implications for currency stability. Key recommendations of the task force include:

Currently, the onshore market trading hours are from 9 am to 5 pm.[18] The task force observed that domestic markets being closed when major users in certain regions such as United States are working creates a natural access for offshore markets. It recommended extending onshore market hours to match the flexibility provided by the offshore market to incentivize non-residents to hedge in the onshore market.

The task force recommended taking measures to facilitate non-residents to hedge their foreign exchange in onshore market, such as (i) establishing a central clearing and settlement mechanism, (ii) centralising KYC requirements across financial markets and (iii) overcoming gaps between tax regime in India and international financial centres.

Allowing users to undertake forex transactions up to USD 100 million in OTC currency derivative market (off-exchange trading market where the participants trade with each other directly) without the need to establish underlying exposure.

Enabling rupee derivatives (settled in foreign currency) to be traded in international financial services centres in India.

The Ministry of Finance has increased the monetary thresholds for filing appeals by the Central Board of Direct Taxes and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.[19],[20] These thresholds are applicable for filing appeals before appellate tribunals, High Courts, and the Supreme Court. The thresholds have been increased with the aim of improving litigation management by helping the departments focus on litigation of substantial value. Table 2 shows the revised limits for filing departmental appeals before the different appellate forums.

In case of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, the revised limits will be applicable to appeals related to central excise and service tax (including all the pending cases). Further, the limits will not apply to cases which involve substantial point of law. These include cases where: (i) the constitutional validity of the provisions of an Act or rule is under challenge, and (ii) notification, order, instruction, or circular has been held illegal or ultra vires.

RBI releases Enabling Framework for Regulatory Sandbox Anurag Vaishnav ([email protected]) The Reserve Bank of India released the enabling framework for Regulatory Sandbox.[21] An inter-regulatory Working Group was setup in 2016 by the RBI to review the regulatory framework in the financial technology sector.[22] It recommended introducing a framework for a regulatory sandbox to provide regulatory guidance, increase efficiency, manage risks and create new opportunities for consumers.

The sandbox provides an environment which allows market participants to test new products, services or business models with customers in a controlled environment. The objective of the sandbox is to foster innovation in financial services, promote efficiency and bring benefit to consumers. Key features of the framework include:

Eligibility: The focus of the sandbox will be on encouraging innovations amongst FinTech companies where (a) there is absence of governing regulations, (b) easing regulations enable the proposed innovation, or (c) the proposed innovation can significantly ease delivery of financial services.

In view of the above, the draft framework identified an indicative list of innovative products, services and technologies which could be considered for testing under the sandbox. These include retail payments, money transfer services, mobile technology applicants, data analytics, financial advisory services, financial inclusion and cyber security products.

The framework also provides that the FinTech company should be incorporated in India for participation in regulatory sandbox. Financial institutions constituted under a statute are also eligible. Further, the entity should have a minimum net worth of twenty-five lakh rupees as per its latest audited balance sheet.

Timeline of implementation: The sandbox process will consist of five stages spanning across 27 weeks. The stages include preliminary screening of product, test design, application assessment, testing and evaluation. The relaxations provided to the participating companies will expire at the end of this period.

The implementation will be overseen by the FinTech Unit at the RBI. The RBI may discontinue sandbox testing for an entity at any time if it does not achieve its intended purpose or if it fails to comply with the regulatory requirements. RBI permits lending by banks to NBFCs for on-lending to be classified as Priority Sector

Anurag Vaishnav ([email protected]) The Reserve Bank of India has issued guidelines that bank credit to registered Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) for the purpose of on-lending to certain sectors will be eligible to be classified as priority sector lending.[23] These sectors include agriculture, micro and small enterprises and housing.

For agriculture, on-lending by NBFCs for term-lending is permitted up to Rs 10 lakh rupees per borrower. For micro and small enterprises, on-lending by NBFCs is permitted up to Rs 20 lakh rupees per borrower.

For housing, the existing limits for on-lending by NBFCs to be classified as priority sector has been doubled from Rs 10 lakh rupees to Rs 20 lakh rupees. The total bank credit to NBFCs for the purpose of on-lending should not exceed 5% of the bank’s total priority sector lending. These guidelines are valid till March 31, 2020.

Note that the above changes are not applicable for NBFCs which are micro finance institutions (NBFC-MFI). A NBFC-MFI is a non-deposit taking NBFC with a minimum net worth of Rs 5 crore and 85% or more of its assets as loans which meet certain thresholds such as, loans given to households with annual income below Rs 1 lakh in case of rural households and Rs 1.6 lakh in case of semi-urban or urban households.[24]

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed by Rajya Sabha.[25] It amends the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. The Code provides a time-bound process for resolving insolvency in companies and among individuals. Key features of the Bill include:

Initiation of resolution process: The Code states that a financial creditor may file an application before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for initiating the insolvency resolution process. The NCLT must find the existence of default within 14 days. Based on its finding, NCLT may accept or reject the application. The Bill states that in case the NCLT does not find the existence of default and has not passed an order within 14 days, it must record its reasons in writing.

Time-limit for resolution process: The Code states that the insolvency resolution process must be completed within 180 days, extendable by a period of up to 90 days. The Bill adds that the resolution process must be completed within 330 days. This includes time for any extension granted and the time taken in legal proceedings in relation to the process. On the enactment of the Bill, if any case is pending for over 330 days, it must be resolved within 90 days.

Resolution plan: The Code provides that the resolution plan must ensure that the operational creditors receive an amount which should not be lesser than the amount they would receive in case of liquidation. The Bill amends this to provide that the amounts to be paid to the operational creditor should be the higher of: (i) amounts receivable under liquidation, and (ii) the amount receivable under a resolution plan, if such amounts were distributed under the same order of priority (as for liquidation).

Representative of financial creditors: The Code specifies that, in certain cases, such as when the debt is owed to a class of creditors beyond a specified number, the financial creditors will be represented on the committee of creditors by an authorised representative. These representatives will vote on behalf of the financial creditors as per instructions received from them. The Bill states that such representative will vote on the basis of the decision taken by a majority of the voting share of the creditors that they represent.

The Competition Law Review Committee (Chair: Mr. Injeti Srinivas) submitted its report recommending amendments to the Competition Act, 2002. [26] The Act establishes the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to promote competition, prevent anti-competitive practices and protect consumer rights. Key recommendations include:

Governing body: The Committee recommended that the Act be amended to provide for a governing body, to strengthen the accountability of the CCI. The governing body will consist of a Chairperson, six whole time members, and six part-time members. The governing body will perform quasi-legislative functions, drive policy decisions, and perform a supervisory role.

Appellate Authority: The Committee noted that under the Act, appeals against orders of the CCI are heard by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal. However, it noted that the Tribunal is overburdened with cases. Therefore, it recommended that a dedicated bench should be created to hear appeals under the Act.

Settlements: The Committee noted that certain jurisdictions like the European Union settle antitrust disputes. These remedies may be in the form of settlements and commitments. Settlements are generally available for cartels and require an admission of guilt from the parties. Commitments apply to all other cases and do not require any admission of guilt. The Committee recommended that the Act be amended to empower CCI to allow settlements and commitments for certain types of anti-competitive agreements (like exclusive supply agreements) and for abuse of dominance.

Green channel notifications: Under the Act, combinations beyond a certain threshold require the approval of CCI. The Commission recommended a ‘green channel’ route for automatic approval of CCI for specific merger and acquisition cases, where there are no major concerns of an appreciable adverse effect on competition. This can include cases under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Note that the green channel combination notification amendment has been issued.[27]

Time limits for merger assessment: The Combination regulations notified under the Act require the CCI to provide its preliminary opinion on whether the combination will have an appreciable adverse effect on competition, within 30 days.

. The High Level Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility (Chair: Injeti Srinivas) submitted its report.[28] Under the Companies Act, 2013, companies above a specified net worth, turnover or profits are required to spend 2% of their average net profits in the last three financial years, towards their CSR policy. The Committee made several recommendations on the current CSR framework, ranging from its applicability to operational practices.

Key recommendations include: Applicability of CSR: Currently, only companies are required to comply with CSR regulations. The Committee recommended that CSR obligations should be extended to other forms of business enterprises such as Limited Liability Partnerships and banks.

CSR Committees: Under the Act, all CSR eligible companies are required to form CSR Committees. For operational ease, the Committee recommended that companies with CSR funds of below 50 lakh rupees should be exempt from this requirement.

Tax benefits for CSR activities: To incentivise CSR spending, the Committee recommended that all CSR expenditure should be made deductible from the taxable income of the company.

CSR impact studies: The Committee recommended that companies having CSR funds of over five crore rupees in the last three financial years, should undertake impact assessment studies for their CSR projects once in three years, and disclose the same in their board report.

CSR Audit: The Committee recommended bringing CSR within the ambit of statutory financial audit, by requiring disclosure of CSR spending in the financial statements of the company.

Penalties for non-spending: The Committee made certain recommendations to require companies to transfer unspent CSR funds to a separate account and spend such funds within three to five years, failing which penalties may apply. Note that the recently passed Companies Act, 2019, incorporates these changes, and imposes imprisonment in addition.

Ceiling on shares with differential voting rights increased Under the Companies Act, 2013, private companies could issue shares which had different rights as to dividends/voting. These shares could not exceed 26% of the total paid-up equity share capital of the company. These shares are called shares with Differential Voting Rights (DVRs). The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has amended the rules notified under the Act to allow issuance of shares with DVRs up to 74%.[29]

The National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by Rajya Sabha The National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed by Rajya Sabha and is pending in Lok Sabha.[30] The Bill seeks to amend the National Institute of Design Act, 2014, which declares the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad as an institution of national importance.

The Bill seeks to declare four National Institutes of Design in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Haryana as institutions of national importance. Currently, these institutes are registered as Societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and do not have the power to grant degrees or diplomas. On being declared institutions of national importance, the four institutes will be granted the power to grant degrees and diplomas.

Cabinet approves proposal to review FDI policy in various sectors The Union Cabinet approved certain amendments to the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy across various sectors.[31] Key changes to the policy include:

Coal mining: At present, 100% FDI under automatic route is allowed for: (i) coal and lignite mining for captive consumption by power, cement, and iron and steel plants, and (ii) coal processing (though not allowed to sell coal in open market). The Cabinet allowed 100% FDI under automatic route for sale of coal, commercial coal mining, and associated processing activities such as coal washing, crushing, and handling.

Contract manufacturing: The current policy allows 100% FDI under automatic route in the manufacturing sector. In India, manufacturing activities can be conducted either by the investee entity or through contract manufacturing. However, there is no specific provision for contract manufacturing in FDI policy. In this context, 100% FDI under automatic route will be allowed for contract manufacturing.

Single brand retail trading: Currently, single brand retailers with over 51% FDI have to locally source 30% of the value of goods sold. The amendments allow for all procurements made from India to be counted towards local sourcing, irrespective of whether the goods are sold in India or exported. Further, the present policy requires all single brand retailers to operate through brick and mortar stores before starting trading through e-commerce. This has been amended to allow for online retail trading before the opening of brick and mortar stores. However, the retailers will be required to open stores within two years of start of their online operations.

Digital media: Currently, 49% FDI through the approval route is allowed in up- linking of TV channels broadcasting news and current affairs. The amendments permit 26% FDI under approval route for uploading and streaming of news and current affairs through digital media.

Government approves setting up Committee to review Defence Procurement Procedure The Ministry of Defence has approved setting up a Committee to review the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP), 2016 and Defence Procurement Manual (DPM), 2009.[32] The objective of the Committee is to revise and align the procedures to ensure efficient procurement process for defence equipment and strengthen the ‘Make in India’ initiative. The terms and reference of the Committee include:

Revising the procedures in DPP 2016 and DPM 2009 to remove procedural bottlenecks and hasten defence acquisition. Aligning and standardising the provisions in DPP 2016 and DPM 2009 to optimise life cycle support for equipment. Simplifying policy and procedures to facilitate greater participation of domestic industry.

Examining and incorporating new concepts such as life cycle costing, performance based logistics, and lease contracting. Including provisions to support the ‘Make in India’ initiative and promote Indian start-ups. The Committee is required to submit its report in six months.

Government extends child care leave benefits to single male service personnel The Ministry of Defence has approved extending benefits of child care leave to single male service personnel.[33] Presently, such leave is granted only to woman officers in defence forces.

An age limit of 22 years was prescribed for availing child care leave in case of a child with 40% disability. This restriction has now been removed. Further, the minimum period for which child care leave can be availed at a time has been reduced from 15 days to five days.

Government approves re-organisation of army headquarters The Ministry of Defence has approved creating a separate vigilance cell under the chief of army staff.[34] The cell will include representation from all three services (one colonel-level officer each from the Army, Air Force and Navy). Currently, there is no single agency for vigilance under the Chief of Army Staff.

Further, a special human rights section will be setup under the Vice Chief of Army Staff for enhanced focus on human rights issues. This section will be headed by an Additional Director General (Major General rank officer) directly under the Vice Chief of Army Staff. This will be the nodal point to examine any reports of human rights violation.

The Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament.[35] It replaces the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The key features of the Bill include:

Rights of consumers: Six consumer rights have been defined in the Bill, including the right to: (i) be protected against marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life and property; (ii) be informed of the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods or services; (iii) be assured of access to goods or services at competitive prices; and (iv) seek redressal against unfair or restrictive trade practices.

Central Consumer Protection Authority: The central government will set up a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers. It will regulate matters related to violation of consumer rights, unfair trade practices, and misleading advertisements.

Penalties for misleading advertisement: The CCPA may impose a penalty on a manufacturer or an endorser of up to Rs 10 lakh and imprisonment for up to two years for a false or misleading advertisement. In case of a subsequent offence, the fine may extend to Rs 50 lakh and imprisonment of up to five years.

Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (CDRCs): CDRCs will be set up at the district, state, and national levels. A consumer can file a complaint with CDRCs in relation to: (i) unfair or restrictive trade practices; (ii) defective goods or services; (iii) overcharging or deceptive charging; and (iv) the offering of goods or services for sale which may be hazardous to life and safety. Complaints against an unfair contract can be filed with only the State and National CDRCs. Appeals from a District CDRC will be heard by the State CDRC, and from State CDRC by the National CDRC. Final appeal will lie before the Supreme Court.

Product liability: Product liability means the liability of a product manufacturer, service provider or seller to compensate a consumer for any harm or injury caused by a defective good or deficient service. To claim compensation, a consumer has to prove any one of the conditions for defect or deficiency, as given in the Bill. These include defects in manufacturing or design of a product, or negligence in providing a service to a consumer.

The Department of Consumer Affairs has released draft guidelines on e-commerce for protection of consumers under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.[36] The draft guidelines have been issued as a model framework to prevent unfair trade practices and protect consumers in e-commerce. The guidelines will be applicable to B-to-C (business to consumer) e-commerce businesses. Key features include:

Conditions for doing business: E-commerce entities will be required to comply with certain conditions within 90 days from the date of notification of the guidelines. These conditions include: (i) the entity should be a registered legal entity in India, (ii) the promoters or key management personnel should not have been convicted of any criminal offence in the last five years, and (iii) required details of sellers, such as the legal name of their business, products they sell, and their contact information should be displayed on the website.

Liabilities of e-commerce entities: An e-commerce entity shall not: (i) directly or indirectly influence the price and shall maintain a level playing field, (ii) adopt any unfair or deceptive practices that may influence decisions of consumers, and (iii) falsely represent themselves as consumers and post reviews, or misrepresent the quality or features of goods and services.

Other liabilities of e-commerce entities include: (i) displaying terms of contract between them and the sellers, (ii) ensuring advertisements of goods and services are consistent with the actual characteristics, and (iii) ensuring personally identifiable information of customers is protected and its usage complies with the legal provisions.

Liabilities of sellers: Liabilities of sellers (who advertise or sell on e-commerce platforms) include: (i) displaying all the charges associated with sale of products, such as delivery charges and taxes, (ii) stating upfront the policies regarding shipping, exchange, return, refund, and warranty, and (iii) complying with statutory provisions for display and sale of products.

Grievance redressal: E-commerce entities are required to: (i) publish details of the grievance redressal process and grievance officer on website, (ii) provide facilities for filing complaints through phone, email, and website, (iii) redress complaints within one month, and (iv) facilitate convergence of the process with grievance redressal process of government (National Consumer Helpline).

As part of the ongoing Indo-US defence cooperation, a joint military training, Exercise Yudh Abhyas - 2019 is being conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mc Chord, Washington, USA from 05-18 September 2019. Exercise Yudh Abhyas is one of the largest joint running military training and defence corporation endeavors between India and USA. This will be the 15th edition of the joint exercise hosted alternately between the two countries.

Exercise Yudh Abhyas will provide an opportunity to the armed forces of both countries to train in an integrated manner at Battalion level with joint planning at Brigade level. Multiple scenarios will be rehearsed during the joint exercise with a view to understand each other's organisational structure and battle procedures which would result in a higher degree of jointmanship that would further facilitate interoperability between the armed forces of both countries to meet any unforeseen contingency across the globe. The exercise is also an ideal platform to learn from each other's expertise and experiences of planning and execution of operations.

Both armies will jointly train, plan and execute a series of well developed operations for neutralization of threats of varied nature. ln the end a joint exercise will be undertaken by both countries in an operational setting under a UN mandate. Experts from both sides will hold expert academic and military discussions to share each other's experiences on varied topics for mutual benefit.

About the Interim Government: It was the only such cabinet in India’s history in which both Congress and the Muslim League shared power at the Centre.

The interim government functioned with a great degree of autonomy, and remained in power until the end of British rule, after which it was succeeded by the Dominions of India and Pakistan.

What led to the formation of India’s interim government, who were its members, and what decisions did it take?

Starting with the Cripps mission in 1942, a number of attempts were made by colonial authorities to form an interim government in India. In 1946, elections to the Constituent Assembly were held following the proposals of the British Cabinet Mission dispatched by the British Prime Minister Clement Attlee.

Viceroy Wavell subsequently called upon Indian representatives to join the interim government. The interim government functioned according to the older Government of India Act of 1919.

Some of the decisions by the cabinet: To engage in direct diplomatic relations with all countries and goodwill missions.

Support for the independence of colonised nations. In November 1946, ratified the Convention on International Civil Aviation. In the same month, a committee was appointed to advise the government on nationalising the armed forces.

In April 1947, the US announced the appointment of Dr. Henry F. Grady as its ambassador to India.

On June 1, the Indian Commonwealth Relations Department and the External Affairs Department were merged to form the single Department of External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations.

This year, the Tibetan Government-in-Exile celebrated its 59th Democracy Day.

Why is this day significant? In February 1960, after he crossed over into India, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama outlined in Bodh Gaya, a detailed programme of democratic practice for exiled Tibetans.

He advised them to set up an elected body with three exiled representatives each from the three provinces, and one each from the four religious schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

After elections were held, 13 elected representatives, called ‘Deputies’, were designated as the ‘Commission of Tibetan People’s Deputies’ (CTPD). They took oath on September 2, 1960. Subsequently from 1975 onward, this date began to be formally observed as Tibetan Democracy Day.

About Parliament-in-Exile: The TPiE is the highest legislative body of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). It is described as one of the three pillars of Tibetan democratic governance — the others being the Judiciary and the Kashag, or Executive.

The CTA is based in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh. Elections are held every five years to elect Members of the TPiE, and their Sikyong (Prime Minister).

Government-in-Exile: On March 10, 1963, the Dalai Lama promulgated the Constitution of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile (TGiE). From 1991 onwards, TPiE became the legislative organ of the CTA, the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission became the judicial organ, and the Kashag the executive organ.

The TGiE is not recognised officially by any country, including India. However, many countries, including the US, deal directly with the Sikyong and other Tibetan leaders through various forums.

India took over the Presidency of the COP from China.

About UNCCD: Established in 1994. It is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. It is the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference’s Agenda 21.

To help publicise the Convention, 2006 was declared “International Year of Deserts and Desertification”.

Focus areas: The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.

Aim: Its 197 Parties aim, through partnerships, to implement the Convention and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The end goal is to protect land from over-use and drought, so it can continue to provide food, water and energy.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal Ministry for this Convention.

Need of the hour: Responsible land governance is key to provide an enabling environment for ecosystem restoration, biodiversity protection, land use-based adaptation and for improving the livelihoods of many small-scale farmers.

At the UNCCD COP 14, parties to the convention have the opportunity to adopt an ambitious resolution on land tenure for Land Degradation Neutrality. They must use this opportunity to empower communities to better adapt to the impacts of the climate emergency.

Background: This is the fourth event in a series of Speakers’ Summits for the region on SDGs, the previous three having been hosted by the Jatiya Sangsad of Bangladesh (in 2016), the Sansad of India (in 2017) and the Parliament of Sri Lanka (2018).

Outcome of the summit: At the end of the summit, Male Declaration was adopted by the leaders.

About the Male Declaration: The Declaration “unanimously” felt that Kashmir was an “internal matter” of India and overlooked all assertions made by Islamabad on the issue.

India’s position: India has defended its decision to scrap provisions of Article 370 that have special status to Jammu and Kashmir, saying that it was an internal matter. India has also snubbed Pakistan for interfering in the internal matters of the country, saying that Pakistan was misleading the world.

Way ahead for India: For India, there is now no “outstanding” issue of Kashmir except India’s claim on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which includes Gilgit-Baltistan. The need for a back-channel to find a solution to the Kashmir issue has disappeared.

India’s decision will also have effect on the Indus Waters Treaty and Pakistan’s strategy of creating obstacles for Indian power projects in Jammu and Kashmir permitted by the treaty.

UN might issue some statement advocating reduction of tensions and peaceful settlement of differences, etc., but a change in India’s domestic law on J&K’s status within the Indian Union is not an international matter as it does not endanger international peace and security.

More importantly, Article 370 does not figure in any UN resolution on Kashmir. It was inserted in the Indian Constitution in 1954 unilaterally by India, many years after the UN resolutions on J&K and, so, it can be unilaterally removed.

Options before Pakistan: Pakistan has propagandist options, but no substantial ones. It can try to foment resistance within the valley to India’s decision and step up terrorism in J&K.

This will be risky as support to jihadi activities in J&K will allow India to increase pressure on Pakistan in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), besides the danger of retaliation from India, which Pakistan can ill afford in view of its distressed economic situation.

What is Interpol? The International Criminal Police Organisation, or Interpol, is a 194-member intergovernmental organisation.

headquartered in Lyon, France. formed in 1923 as the International Criminal Police Commission, and started calling itself Interpol in 1956.

India joined the organisation in 1949, and is one of its oldest members. Interpol’s declared global policing goals include countering terrorism, promoting border integrity worldwide, protection of vulnerable communities, providing a secure cyberspace for people and businesses, curbing illicit markets, supporting environment security, and promoting global integrity.

What is the Interpol General Assembly? It is Interpol’s supreme governing body, and comprises representatives from all its member countries. It meets annually for a session lasting approximately four days, to vote on activities and policy.

Each country is represented by one or more delegates at the Assembly, who are typically chiefs of law enforcement agencies. The Assembly also elects the members of the Interpol Executive Committee, the governing body which “provides guidance and direction in between sessions of the Assembly”.

Assembly Resolutions: The General Assembly’s decisions take the form of Resolutions. Each member country has one vote. Decisions are made either by a simple or a two-thirds majority, depending on the subject matter.

Context: Election Commission is hosting the 4th General Assembly of Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) at Bengaluru.

India will take over as A-WEB’s Chair for the 2019-21 term.

About The Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB): It is the largest association of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) worldwide. Established on October 14, 2013 in Song-do, South Korea.

Permanentsecretariat is located at Seoul. Aims to foster efficiency and effectiveness in conducting free, fair, transparent and participative elections worldwide.

Composition: 115 EMBs as Members & 20 Regional Associations/Organisations as Associate Members. 24 EMBs from Asia, 37 from Africa, 31 from America, 17 from Europe & 6 from Oceania presently are members of A WEB.

Key recommendations: Put in place a comprehensive legal framework to protect consumers of digital services.

Reserve Bank of India should examine issuance of ‘virtual banking licences’. Dematerialisation of fixed deposits, sovereign gold bonds and post office certificates to promote easy transactions and collateral.

RBI should mandate banks to share crucial customer data after consent. Regulation technology (or RegTech) should be adopted by all financial sector regulators to develop standards and facilitate adoption by financial service providers.

Fintech should be used to improve access of financial products for MSMEs, farmers and poorer sections of the society. Insurance companies and lending agencies should be encouraged to use drone and remote sensing technology for crop area, damage and location assessments to support risk reduction in insurance/lending business.

Digitise land records across the country on a war footing. Set up of an Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee on fintech Applications in the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) to monitor progress, including exploring and suggesting the potential applications in government financial processes and applications.

Boeing AH-64 Apache combat helicopters inducted into IAF. These are US- made helicopters.

It is one of the world’s most advanced attack helicopters with multi-role combat capabilities. The Apache’s capabilities range from greater thrust, lift and joint digital operability to cognitive decision aiding and improved survivability.

Who is a Professor Emerita/Emeritus, and how is she/he appointed? Worldwide, ‘Professor Emeritus/Emerita’ is the title bestowed upon an eminent retired academic in recognition of their work and distinguished service.

In India, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has a ‘Scheme of Emeritus Fellowship’ in order “to provide an opportunity to the superannuated teachers who have been actively engaged in research and teaching programmes in the preceding years to undertake research, without any restriction of position or pay scales”.

Eligibility: The awardee (superannuated) can work under this scheme with a well-defined time-bound action plan up to the age of 70 years or up to two years (non-extendable) of the award whichever is earlier.”

Lignin is a complex organic polymer rich in polyphenols with antimicrobial qualities.

It is found in almost all dry plants including crop residues and the woody bark of trees.

Abundant quantities of lignin are generated as post-harvest agro-biomass and in paper and pulp industries every year, which often go waste. Why in News? Researchers have developed a lignin-based nanocomposite which could potentially have commercial value. The lignin-based nanomaterial can act as additive in coating and packaging materials.

Context: Joint Naval Annual Quality Conclave (JNAQC) to be held in Visakhapatnam.

Theme ‘Transformation of QA Paradigm: Opportunities and Challenges’. Hosted by the Naval Quality Assurance Establishments under the aegis of Director General Quality Assurance (DGQA), Ministry of Defence. Conclave provides a vibrant environment for stimulating discussions on all aspects pertaining to Transformation of QA Paradigm and will benefit all stakeholders by enabling cross-fertilisation of ideas and best practices from diverse fields.

Terracotta Grinder: The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched the first-ever ‘Terracotta Grinder’ at Varanasi. It will grind the wasted and broken pottery items for re-using in pottery-making. It will reduce the cost of production, and will also help to solve the problem of shortage of clays for pottery making.

Project REPLAN (REducing PLastic in Nature): Launched by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). It aims to make carry bags by mixing processed and treated plastic waste with cotton fibre rags in the ratio 20:80. The made paper is found to have good strength and durability. It can be used to make paper bags, fine tissues and other paper-based items.

Prof Vispi Balaporia will now head the institution.

About Asiatic Society, Mumbai: It is a learned society whose activities include conducting historical research, awarding historians, and running an institute of post-graduate studies. Its library, home to over 1 lakh books, consists of rare manuscripts contributed to it by the East India Company, as well as generous donations.

The Society offers Junior Fellowships for research and recommends scholars for the Tagore National Fellowship of the Ministry of Culture. The Governor of Maharashtra is the Society’s Chief Patron.

It’s evolution: It began journey in 1804 as the Literary Society of Bombay. Founded by Sir James Mackintosh, a Scottish colonial administrator who had a keen interest in Oriental studies.

In 1826, it became the Mumbai arm of the London-based Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland and came to be called the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (BBRAS).

In 1954, the institution was severed from its London parent and became the Asiatic Society of Bombay. In 2002, it acquired its present name.

About Swachh Iconic Places (SIP): What is it? It is an initiative of Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation under Swachh Bharat Mission.

Aims to take iconic places and their surroundings to higher standards of Swachhata, so that all visitors benefit and also take away home the message of cleanliness.

Implementation of the project: It is a collaborative project with three other central Ministries: Urban Development, Culture, Tourism; all levels in the concerned States and more importantly, Public Sector and Private companies as partners.

Phase I iconic places are: Ajmer Sharif Dargah, CST Mumbai, Golden Temple, Kamakhya Temple, MaikarnikaGhat, Meenakshi Temple, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Shree Jagannath Temple, The Taj Mahal and Tirupati Temple.

Phase II included Gangotri, Yamunotri, Mahakaleshwar Temple, Charminar, Convent and Church of St. Francis of Assissi, Kalady, Gommateswara, BaidyanathDham, Gaya Tirth and Somnath temple.

Phase III includes RaghavendraSwamy Temple (Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh); Hazardwari Palace (Murshidabad, West Bengal); Brahma Sarovar Temple (Kurukshetra, Haryana); VidurKuti (Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh); Mana village (Chamoli, Uttarakhand); Pangong Lake (Leh-Ladakh, J&K); Nagvasuki Temple (Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh); ImaKeithal/market (Imphal, Manipur); Sabarimala Temple (Kerala); and Kanvashram (Uttarakhand).

About NERAMAC: The NERAMAC is a pioneer marketing organization in the field of Agri-Horti sector of the North-eastern region, involved in supporting farmers right from the fields and up to the markets to the end consumers through registered FPO/FPCs.

It was incorporated in the year 1982 as a Government of India Enterprise and having its registered office at Guwahati and operating under the administrative control of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).

What is it? The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (or simply the Global Fund) is an international financing organization.

It aims to “attract, leverage and invest additional resources to end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria to support attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations.”

Founded in 2002, the Global Fund is a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by the diseases. The organization maintains its secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland.

Historical background: The Global Fund was formed as an independent, non-profit foundation under Swiss law and hosted by the World Health Organization in January 2002. In January 2009, the organization became an administratively autonomous organization, terminating its administrative services agreement with the World Health Organization.

What does the PIL seek? Many children under the age of five die every day due to hunger and malnutrition and this condition was violative of various fundamental rights, including the right to food and life of citizens.

Therefore, it is necessary to create a national food grid for people falling outside the purview of the public distribution scheme.

Need: Various schemes to combat hunger, malnutrition and the resulting starvation are in place. But, in reality, effective implementation of the schemes was unclear and fairly limited.

In the interest of justice and for entitlement of nutritious food, which has been held as a basic fundamental and human right, in both national and international law, alike, the establishment of community kitchens may be directed as an added mechanism for provision of nutritious food with the intent of holistically combating eradication of hunger, malnutrition and starvation in the country, and diseases, illnesses and deaths resulting thereof.

Way ahead: There are various state-funded community kitchens being run in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Jharkhand and Delhi that serve meals at subsidised rates in hygienic conditions.

Then, there are the concepts of soup kitchen, meal centre, food kitchen or community kitchen, in other countries, where food is offered to the hungry usually for free or sometimes at a below-market price.

Facts: Food and Agriculture Report, 2018 stated that India houses 195.9 million of the 821 million undernourished people in the world, accounting for approximately 24% of the world’s hungry. Prevalence of undernourishment in India is 14.8%, higher than both the global and Asian average.

The most alarming figure revealed is that approximately 4500 children die every day under the age of five years in our country resulting from hunger and malnutrition, amounting to over three lakh deaths every year owing to hunger, of children alone.

Ration card holders in Kerala and Karnataka, as well as in Rajasthan and Haryana, will be able to buy subsidised food from ration shops in the neighbouring State from next month.

About the scheme: One Nation One Ration Card (RC) will ensure all beneficiaries especially migrants can access PDS across the nation from any PDS shop of their own choice.

Benefits: no poor person is deprived of getting subsidised foodgrains under the food security scheme when they shift from one place to another. It also aims to remove the chance of anyone holding more than one ration card to avail benefits from different states.

Significance: This will provide freedom to the beneficiaries as they will not be tied to any one PDS shop and reduce their dependence on shop owners and curtail instances of corruption.

Challenges: Prone to corruption: Every state has its own rules for Public Distribution System (PDS). If ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ is implemented, it will further boost corruption in an already corrupted Public Distribution System. The scheme will increase the woes of the common man and, the middlemen and corrupt PDS shop owners will exploit them.

Tamil Nadu has opposed the proposal of the Centre, saying it would result in undesirable consequences and is against federalism.

It has also allowed conversion of old sugar into ethanol.

What is ethanol? Ethanol is basically alcohol of 99%-plus purity, which can be used for blending with petrol. Produced mainly from molasses, a byproduct of sugar manufacture.

Benefits of the latest move: There is a huge incentive to produce ethanol today. This has been additionally facilitated by the government mandating 10% blending of petrol with ethanol. If mills are able to divert more of cane juice for ethanol, it would mean producing less sugar. Since the country is producing too much sugar and is importing oil, the ethanol-blending programme is beneficial both for mills and for the country’s balance of payments.

Benefits of ethanol blending: Reduction in import dependency. Support to agricultural sector. Environmental friendly fuel. Additional income to farmers.

About Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme: Launched in 2003 on pilot basis. The aim is to promote the use of alternative and environmental friendly fuels. Implemented by the Ministry or Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).

Need: India is the third largest consumer of energy in the world after China and the US. India is dependent on imports for about 82.1% of its crude oil requirement and to the extent of about 44.4% in case of natural gas. India is expected to need 10 billion litres of ethanol annually to meet the 20% blending target in 2030 if petrol consumption continues to grow at the current pace. At present, the capacity stands at 1.55 billion litres a year.

Concerns and challenges: Consistent shortfall in supply of ethanol in the past, mainly on account of the cyclical nature of the sugarcane harvests in the country. Lack of an integrated approach in the EBP across its value chain.

Way ahead: The National Policy on Bio-fuels has set a target of 20% blending of biofuels, both for bio-diesel and bio-ethanol. This will require an integrated approach in the Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP). The time is ripe for a cogent and consistent policy and administrative framework in the program implementation for the success of EBP.

This enhances the understanding of the link between the Southern Ocean — next to Antarctica — and the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Scientists studied data collected as part of the ANDREX project (Antarctic Deep water Rates of Export) which measured the physical, biological, and chemical properties of the waters in the gyre between 2008 and 2010.

Significance: Carbon dioxide is absorbed in the surface oceans and stored in the deep seas, gradually, over a timescale of 100s to 1,000s years.

The Southern Ocean plays a critical role in how the carbon dioxide is taken out of the atmosphere, and knowing how it functions helps scientists understand this mechanism’s role during dramatic climate transitions in the past, such as the ice ages, and better predict the current and future climate change.

About ANDREX project: The project seeks to assess the role of the Weddell gyre in driving the southern closure of the meridional overturning circulation, in ventilating the deep global ocean, and in sequestering carbon and nutrients in the global ocean abyss.

About AIDA: Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA) is a joint research mission between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) teams. It aims to study the viability of diverting an asteroid by crashing a spacecraft into its surface.

The project aims to deflect the orbit of one of the two Didymos asteroids between Earth and Mars, with an observer craft gauging the effect of the impact more effectively than ground-based observers could manage.

The first ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX) between regional bloc- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and United States is being held at the Sattahip Naval Base in Thailand.

About Poshan Maah (National Nutrition Month): The Government is celebrating the month of September as the National Nutrition Month under the Poshan Abhiyan.

The primary objectiveis to take the messages of POSHAN to the grass root level. The programme- an initiative of WCD Ministry and NITI Aayog is supported by 18 line Ministries/Departments/Government Organizations.

It seeks to synergise all efforts by leveraging technology and intends to take nutrition awareness to the level of Jan Andolan or People’s Movement.

The programme focuses on 8 themes – Antenatal Care, Optimal Breastfeeding (Early & Exclusive), Complementary Feeding, Anemia, Growth Monitoring, Girls-education, diet, right age of Marriage, Hygiene & Sanitation, Food Fortification.

Mt. Kun: Context: The Indian Army recently conducted a mountaineering expedition to Mt. Kun. Kun is the second-highest peak in between the Zanskar and Kargil regions of Ladakh.

It is a part of the Nun Kun mountain massif in the Himalayas. Nun (7135 m) is the highest peak in the part of the Himalayan range lying on the Indian side of the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2019: Context: As part of the ongoing Indo-US defence cooperation, a joint military training, Exercise Yudh Abhyas – 2019 is being conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mc Chord, Washington, USA.

Apache attack helicopters: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has formally inducted eight AH-64E Apache attack helicopters into service at the Pathankot Air Force Station.

Apache attack helicopters are being purchased to replace the Mi-35 fleet. India is 16th nation to select the Apache and the AH-64E is the most advanced variant.

Apache is the most advanced multi-role heavy attack helicopter in the world. Alongside the capability to shoot fire and forget anti-tank guided missiles, air-to-air missiles, rockets and other ammunitions, it also has modern Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities to provide versatility to helicopters in a network-centric aerial warfare.