UPSC Daily Current Affair : 01-April-2020
Updated: Apr 4, 2020
Topic Covered :
TAXATION AND OTHER LAWS (RELAXATION OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS) ORDINANCE, 2020
HOW DOES ALCOHOL IN SANITISERS (AND SOAP) KILL THE VIRUS?
NEWSPAPER SECTOR
RIGHT TO DISCUSS COVID – 19
SUPREME COURT ON MIGRANTS
TABLIGHI JAMAAT
NEW TEST KITS IN TWO MONTHS
2ND EXTRAORDINARY G20 FINANCE MINISTERS AND CENTRAL BANK GOVERNORS VIRTUAL MEETING
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TAXATION AND OTHER LAWS (RELAXATION OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS) ORDINANCE, 2020
Why in news?
Due to the outbreak of Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) across many countries of the world has caused immense loss to the lives of people. Keeping in view the challenges faced by taxpayers in meeting the compliance requirements under such conditions, the Union Finance Minister had announced several relief measures relating to statutory and regulatory compliance matters across sectors in view of COVID-19 and thus brought the Ordinance.
Highlights:
Direct Tax and Benami :
a. Extension of last date of filing income tax. b. Extension of Aadhar Pan Linkage date. c. Increase in various dates. d. Under Vivad se Vishwas Scheme, the date has also been extended up to 30.06.2020.
Hence, declaration and payment under the Scheme can be made up to 30.06.2020 without additional payment.
Indirect Taxes : Last date of furnishing of the Central Excise returns due in March, April and May 2020 has been extended to 30th June,2020. The date for making payment to avail of the benefit under Sabka Vishwas Legal Dispute Resolution Scheme 2019 has been extended to 30th June 2020 thus giving more time to taxpayers to get their disputes resolved. In addition to the extension of time limits under the Taxation and Benami Acts as above, an enabling section has got inserted in the CGST Act, 2017 empowering the Government to extend due dates for various compliances inter-alia including statement of outward supplies, filing refund claims, filing appeals, etc. specified, prescribed or notified under the Act, on recommendations of the GST Council.
PM CARES :
The Ordinance also amended the provisions of the Income-tax Act to provide the same tax treatment to PM CARES Fund as available to Prime Minister National Relief Fund.
Source : PIB
2ND EXTRAORDINARY G20 FINANCE MINISTERS AND CENTRAL BANK GOVERNORS VIRTUAL MEETING
Why in news?
Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 2nd Extraordinary G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting under the Saudi Arabian Presidency today, to discuss the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and coordinate efforts in response to this global challenge.
Highlights:
G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors during the 1st Extraordinary Virtual G20 FMCBG Meeting held on March 23, 2020 had decided to meet virtually on a regular basis to continue discussions on the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, including its impact on markets and economic conditions and take further actions to support the economy during and after this phase.
During the summit, the Leaders had tasked G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to deliver a G20 Action Plan in Response to COVID-19, in close cooperation with relevant international organizations (IOs).
Finance Minister made specific interventions on reviewing and enhancing the IMF toolkit and further expanding the swap line network.
Smt Sitaraman supported the proposed G20 Action Plan and emphasized that such an exercise would provide an opportunity for immense cross learning and critical insights.
Source : PIB
NEW TEST KITS IN TWO MONTHS
Why in news?
India is likely to start manufacturing new serological diagnostic testing kits within the next two months as many advances have been made after the virus was isolated by research agencies, the ICMR said.
Highlights:
ICMR is hopeful that at least a serological diagnostic testing will be made in India in next one or two months.
Serological tests are tests that look for antibodies in blood and help in diagnosing diseases.
Government has formed a science and technology committee co-chaired by V K Paul and principal scientific adviser K Vijayraghavan.
Source : TOI
TABLIGHI JAMAAT
Why in news?
With at least 24 of its occupants testing positive for the novel coronavirus, an Islamic centre in the national capital has turned out to be the latest hotspot of COVID-19.
Highlights:
More than 400 people with symptoms were admitted to different hospitals and over 1,100 shifted to government-run quarantine facilities in Delhi alone over Monday and Tuesday.
Hundreds of others who returned home after staying at the centre over the last fortnight might have carried the virus to several States, authorities fear.
The Delhi police on Tuesday registered a case against Maulana Saad and others from Tablighi Jamaat under Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, read with Sections 269, 270, 271 and 120-B of the IPC, for violation of government directions in respect of restriction of gatherings and safety measures, including physical- distancing.
About Tablighi Jamaat : Tablighi Jamaat literally the Outreach Society, is an Islamic missionary movement that focuses on urging Muslims to return to practising their religion during the lifetime of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and particularly in matters of ritual, dress and personal behavior. Founder - Muhammad Ilyas Kandhlawi Teaching – Its teaching are expressed in the form of “Six principles”
i. Kalimah – Declaration of Faith
ii. Salah – Prayer
iii. Ilm-o-zikr – Knowledge
iv. Ikraam-e-Muslim – Respect of Muslim
v. Iklas-e-Niyat – Sincerity of Intention
vi. Dawat-o-Tableegh – Proselytization
Source : HINDU
SUPREME COURT ON MIGRANTS
Why in news?
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the police and the authorities to treat migrant workers journeying home in fear of COVID-19 in a humane manner.
Highlights:
Supreme Court said, “We expect those concerned to appreciate the trepidation of the poor men, women and children and treat them with kindness... The anxiety and fear of the migrants should be understood by the police and other authorities.”
Supreme Court opined that the State governments/Union Territories should endeavour to engage volunteers along with the police to supervise the welfare activities for the migrants
Other Major Highlights of Direction
The court ordered the government to ensure that migrant workers stopped from crossing the inter-State borders were given food, shelter and medicines.
The government said it was imperative to stop the mass migration as there was a likelihood that three out of every 10 workers might be carrying the coronavirus. The court expressed its satisfaction with the government measures.
The court directed the government, represented by Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, to set up an expert committee and a dedicated portal within 24 hours to disseminate authentic information about the virus and stop the spread of fake news.
Chief Justice Bobde said that Section 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by public servant) of the IPC makes it a penal offence to disobey orders made by government authorities in public interest.
Source : Hindu
RIGHT TO DISCUSS COVID – 19
Why in news?
The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the right to free discussion about COVID-19, even as it directed the media to refer to and publish the official version of the developments in order to avoid inaccuracies and large-scale panic.
Highlights:
It ordered the government to start a daily bulletin on COVID-19 developments through all media avenues in the next 24 hours.
SC was responding to a request from the Central government that media outlets, in the “larger interest of justice”, should only publish or telecast anything on COVID-19 after ascertaining the factual position from the government
Government contended that any deliberate or inaccurate reporting by the media, particularly web portals, had a serious and inevitable potential of causing panic in larger section of the society.
Creating panic is also a criminal offence under the Disaster Management Act, 2005
Creating panic is also a criminal offence under the Disaster Management Act, 2005
SC direction - “We expect the media [print, electronic or social] to maintain a strong sense of responsibility and ensure that unverified news capable of causing panic is not disseminated. A daily bulletin by the Government of India through all media avenues, including social media and forums to clear the doubts of people, would be made active within a period of 24 hours as submitted by the Solicitor- General of India. We do not intend to interfere with the free discussion about the pandemic, but direct the media refer to and publish the official version about the developments.
Source : Hindu
NEWSPAPER SECTOR
Why in news?
The Indian Newspaper Society, in a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has sought a two-year tax holiday and removal of all import duty on newsprint, seeking an urgent relief for the collapsing newspaper sector.
Highlights:
The society said the industry had been hit by a “triple whammy of coronavirus, plummeting advertising and customs duty on newsprint which has led to an unimaginable situation” where the domestic newspaper industry is on the brink of collapse.
The circulation of newspapers has been badly hit due to the lockdown. The advertising, too, has plummeted severely curtailing two key revenue streams for newspapers.
Last year, a 10% import duty was imposed on newsprint, taking the total customs duty on newsprint to 15%. In this year’s Budget, 10% of duty was removed but the newspapers still have to pay 5% duty, which the INS demanded be waived off.
Last year well-known English newspapers such as DNA and the Financial Chronicle shut their print editions.
It said there needs to be a “level playing field between foreign digital giants and domestic Indian newspapers”.
Source : Hindu
HOW DOES ALCOHOL IN SANITISERS (AND SOAP) KILL THE VIRUS?
Why in news?
The last few weeks have seen hand sanitisers go off the shelves, to the extent that there is now a government order to ensure availability and to prevent profiteering. How do these protect you against the novel coronavirus?
Highlights:
Handwashing for 20 seconds at least kills the virus. When using a sanitiser, it should ideally have an alcohol content of 60% or more.
The novel coronavirus has a lipid envelope. Soap being a detergent destroys the envelope. The same is true for alcohol. When the virus comes out through droplets when an infected person coughs, it is still within a cell. Even if it isn’t, it can stay alive in surfaces for some time. It replicates only when within the cell. That is how soap or alcohol attacks the virus.
Like other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 particles are spherical and have proteins called spikes protruding from their surface. These spikes latch onto human cells, then undergo a structural change that allows the viral membrane to fuse with the cell membrane. The viral genes can then enter the host cell to be copied, producing more viruses.
Like the virus that caused the 2002 SARS outbreak, SARS-CoV-2 spikes bind to receptors on the human cell surface called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).
All of this is held together by a fatty layer, called an envelope. That is the layer that is disrupted when it comes into contact with soap or a hand sanitiser with more than 60% alcohol. Disruption of the envelope causes the virus to come undone, and kills it.
Source : Indian Express