DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

23 MAY 2022

. No.	Topic Name	Prelims/Mains
1.	New Marriage Age for Women	Prelims & Mains
2.	About the Puri Heritage Corridor	Prelims & Mains
3.	China Tibet Conflict	Prelims & Mains
4.	GST Council	Prelims Specific Topic
5.	National Startup Advisory Council	Prelims Specific Topic

 

1 – New Marriage Age for Women: 

GS I

Women Empowerment

• Context:
• The India Child Protection Forum (ICPF) has spoken out against raising the age of marriage for women.
• Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi founded the International Child Protection Federation (ICPF).
• It recently testified before a parliamentary committee looking on raising the age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years.
• Why is the ICPF opposed to hiking the retirement age?
• Because raising the age of marriage for women to 21 will make it illegal for young adults to marry, especially those who marry without their parents’ agreement.
• When women utilise their right to marry, it will empower patriarchal violence against their autonomy.
• Bill 2021 to Amend the Prohibition on Child Marriage:
• It recommends raising the marriage age for women from 18 to 21 years.
• The bill would change the following:
• The Christian Marriage Act of 1972 in India.
• The 1936 Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act was enacted.
• The 1937 Application Act of Muslim Personal Law (Shariat).
• The 1954 Special Marriage Act.
• The 1955 Hindu Marriage Act.
• The 1956 Foreign Marriage Act.
• What is the law?
• Currently, the legislation stipulates that men and women must be 21 and 18 years old, respectively, to marry.
• The age of majority, which is gender-neutral, differs from the age of marriage.
• According to the Indian Majority Act of 1875, an individual reaches majority at the age of eighteen.
• The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, Section 5(iii), stipulates that the bride must be 18 years old and the husband must be 21 years old. Child marriages are not unlawful, but they can be declared void if the minor in the marriage requests it.
• The marriage of a minor who has reached puberty is valid under Islamic personal law.
• The Special Marriage Act of 1954 and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006 both provide that women and men must be 18 and 21 years old, respectively, to consent to marriage.
• Source – The Hindu

2 – About the Puri Heritage Corridor:

GS I

Indian Culture

• Context:
• According to ASI, the Odisha state government was building the Puri Heritage Corridor project in protected and restricted parts of the monument without a formal licence.
• A petition has been filed in court opposing the idea, which has raised concerns about its impact on the Puri temple’s structural safety.
• What exactly is the Puri heritage corridor initiative?
• The Puri Heritage Project, which began in 2016, intends to turn the holy city of Puri into a worldwide tourist destination.
• The project comprises the revitalization of Puri Lake and the Musa River.
• Puri Jagannath Temple Information:
• It is an important Vaishnavite temple in Puri, Odisha, dedicated to Jagannath, a manifestation of Sri Krishna.
• King Anatavarman Chodaganga Deva of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty is thought to have built the temple in the 12th century.
• The ‘Yamanika Tirtha’ of Jagannath Puri temple is where, according to Hindu beliefs, the power of ‘Yama,’ the god of death, has been negated in Puri due to Lord Jagannath’s presence.
• The Ratha Yatra, or chariot festival, is held every year at the Puri temple, during which the three main deities are hauled by gigantic and ornately decorated temple cars.
• Source – The Hindu

3 – China Tibet Conflict:

GS II

International Relations

• Context:
• On a public visit to Dharamshala, U.S. Special Coordinator on Tibet Uzra Zeya met with Penpa Tsering, the ‘Sikyong’ or leader of the self-styled Central Tibetan Administration, and other officials and representatives of the Tibetan community (Himachal Pradesh).
• Because the visit was organised by New Delhi, it is being perceived as a strong message from the Indian government to China, which is protesting what it deems “meddling” in Tibet.
• What happened to Tibet?
• Tibet is a region in Asia that covers about a quarter of China’s land area and is located on the Tibetan Plateau.
• It is the Tibetan people’s and some other ethnic groups’ traditional homeland.
• How did China come to govern it?
• Tibet, according to the People’s Republic of China, has been a part of China since the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty.
• Tibet’s authorities were compelled to accept a treaty imposed by China in 1951.
• The “Seventeen Point Agreement” promises Tibetan autonomy and respect for the Buddhist religion, but it also authorises Chinese civil and military headquarters to be established in Lhasa (Tibet’s capital).
• The Tibetan people, including the Dalai Lama, believe it is invalid and that it was signed under duress.
• Tibetans have called this a cultural genocide on numerous occasions.
• Tibetans living abroad:
• Over 1 lakh Tibetans live in India, with the rest settling in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Mongolia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and other nations.
• Source – The Hindu

4 – GST Council:

Prelims Specific Topic

• Context:
• The Supreme Court has upheld a Gujarat High Court finding that the Centre cannot charge Indian importers IGST on ocean freight.
• Is there anything else the Court has said?
• The GST Council’s suggestions have “persuasive value,” but they are not binding on the federal government or the states.
• Article 246A gives the Parliament and state legislatures “equal, simultaneous, and unique authority” to pass GST legislation.
• Consequences of this decision:
• This would have far-reaching repercussions on a variety of other issues where the states disagree with the GST Council’s judgement, particularly with the compensation period coming to an end in June.
• The GST Council’s role is explicitly defined in the ruling: to advise and recommend on GST problems. Accepting such recommendations and passing relevant legislative revisions is solely the responsibility of the federal and state legislatures.
• What exactly is GST?
• It is a single tax on the provision of goods and services from the producer to the end user.
• It is a destination-based tax, as opposed to the current origin-based taxation regime.
• Source – The Hindu

5 – National Startup Advisory Council:

Prelims Specific Topic

• The National Startup Advisory Council (NSAC) held its fourth meeting in New Delhi recently.
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade established the NSAC (DPIIT).
• Role: To advise the government on how to create a robust environment for fostering innovation and start-ups in the country in order to support long-term economic growth and large-scale job creation.
• Minister of Commerce and Industry is the chairman.
• Source – The Hindu