UTTARAKHAND
NHPC challenges additional tax on hydel projects in Uttarakhand in high court
NHPC, the largest hydropower generator in India, has filed a special appeal in the Uttarakhand high court (HC), challenging the judgment issued by a single bench judge in February, which upheld the state’s right to levy additional tax on hydropower projects.
Although the petition also sought a stay on the judgment of the single judge bench, the court refused to grant the relief and asked the counsel appearing for the firm to place its previous orders dealing with the same issue on record.
The law in question – the Uttarakhand Water Tax on Electricity Generation Act 2012 – imposes a tax amount ranging from two to 10 paise, depending on the size of the hydel project. This tax is in addition to the 12% power that these projects supply to the state government free of cost, as royalty.
The court had held that the law neither violates the Constitution nor is it mala fide in nature and that the legislature is competent to bring the law since it imposes tax on the use of water, not generation of electricity.
INTERNATIONAL
World International Justice Day – 17th July
World International Justice Day is also known as International Criminal Justice Day or International Justice Day is observed globally on July 17 to support and recognize the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Justice day denotes the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute on 17 July 1998, the treaty that created the ICC. It came about when 120 states adopted a statute in Rome. It was known as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. All the countries that agreed to adopt the statute were accepting the jurisdiction of the ICC.
NATIONAL
Raksha Mantri Launched AI-powered Grievance Management Application
The Defence Minister has launched an artificial intelligence-powered grievance management app. The application was created by the Defence Ministry with the assistance of IIT-Kanpur.
Highlights:
♦ This is the first AI-powered system created to improve government grievance redressal.
♦ Based on the contents of the complaint, the AI tool developed as part of the initiative is capable of understanding its content.
♦ As a result, it is capable of automatically detecting repeat complaints or spam.
♦ It can categorise complaints into different categories based on the meaning of the complaint, even if the keywords normally used for such searches are not present in the complaint.
♦ It allows for geographical analysis of complaints within a category, as well as analysis of whether the complaint was adequately addressed or not by the relevant office.
Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Judiciary Infrastructure Development
The Cabinet has approved the extension of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Judiciary Infrastructure Development for another five years.
Highlights:
♦ This scheme has been extended from 1st April, 2021 to 31st March, 2026, with a total cost of Rs 9000 crore, of which the central share is Rs 5357 crore, including Rs 50 crore for Gram Nyayalayas scheme and its implementation.
♦ The proposal will help build 3,800 courts and 4,000 residential units (including new and under construction projects), 1,450 lawyers’ offices, 1,450 toilets, and 3,800 digital computer rooms for judicial personnel in district and lower courts.
♦ This will contribute to the improvement of the country’s judicial functioning and performance, and it will be a new step toward building better courts for a new India.
Chemotaxis – Helps in Wound Healing
Chemotaxis refers to the movement of cells toward attractant chemicals or away from repellents.
About chemotaxis:
♦ Almost every motile (moving) organism exhibits some form of chemotaxis.
♦ Many organisms in nature respond to chemical signals from their surroundings by moving their bodies, a process known as chemotaxis.
♦ Chemotaxis is used by a sperm cell to locate an ovum. Chemotaxis is the process by which white blood cells, which are required for wound healing, locate the site of injury or inflammation. Butterflies also track flowers, and male insects use chemotaxis to reach their prey. Chemotaxis is the movement of coli in the human intestine toward or away from chemicals.
♦ Understanding chemotaxis entails determining how it is influenced by various conditions present within the cell or in the environment.
RoSCTL Scheme Has Been Approved
The government has approved the continuation of the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) on Apparel/Garments and Made-ups Export.
Highlights:
♦ The Centre has extended the RoSCTL Scheme on apparel and garment exports for another three years.
♦ The move significantly lowers the price of Indian products in the global market because manufacturers no longer have to include the cost of state and central taxes.
♦ The center clarified that textile products not covered by RoSCTL should be eligible for benefits under the RoDTEP scheme
About RoSCTL Scheme:
♦ Exporters will receive duty credit scrip with levies and embedded taxes contained in exported products under the RoSCTL scheme. Exporters can use this scrip to pay taxes when importing equipment and machinery.
♦ Should not export taxes and duties is a globally recognized principle in order to create a level playing field for exporters in the international market.
♦ Recognizing the significance of refunding embedded taxes, cesses, and duties, the Ministry of Textiles first introduced the Rebate of State Levies (ROSL) scheme in 2016.
♦ The RoSCTL scheme, which was announced in 2019, provides exporters with a duty credit scrip for the value of the embedded taxes in their exported products.
Soil-Less Agriculture – Mission Turmeric
Mission Turmeric 2021, a campaign led by a former naval officer who is an expert in soil-less agriculture, has been currently in progress.
Highlights:
♦ It intends to start an “orange revolution” by teaching people how to grow turmeric in shade houses in grow bags (large porous containers made of high density polyethylene) packed with coco-peat (made from the pith of the coconut husk) instead of soil.
♦ This method produces better yields with higher curcumin content.
♦ Curcumin is a bright yellow phenolic compound in turmeric, known for its anti-cancer potential.
About soil-less agriculture:
♦ Micro and macro nutrients pre-mixed into a water reservoir, along with high levels of oxygen, are efficiently delivered to plant roots in soil-less agriculture, such as hydroponics.
Some of the Benefits of Soilless Agriculture includes:
♦ Increased growth
♦ Extreme reduction in water and nutrient consumption
♦ Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA): CEA is a farming method that optimises the temperature, humidity, airflow, and light within a farm’s growing environment.