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Table of Contents
Medical Council of India controversy.....................................................................1
Functions of MCI................................................................................................. 1
Surrogacy Regulation Bill....................................................................................... 2
Benefits.............................................................................................................. 2
German surrogacy issue..................................................................................... 2
Amnesty International was slapped with sedition..................................................3
Commutation of life sentence of Rajiv Gandhis assassins....................................4
Bachan Singh vs. State of Punjab (1980)............................................................4
Other incidents................................................................................................... 4
Curative petition................................................................................................. 5
Scorpene submarine data leak.............................................................................. 5
AAP Centre controversy......................................................................................... 6
PM targets Pakistan govt on human rights violation in Baloch area......................6
SC directive violated on dahi handi festival by MNS..............................................6
AMU Minority status(Art 30)................................................................................... 7

Current Issues
Medical Council of India controversy
MCI is a statutory body established in 1934.
In 2010, MCI was dissolved by president after a corruption scandal was exposed.
Its functions were devolved on a board of governors.
Parliamentary Committee report indicted MCI.

Functions of MCI

Accreditation of medical colleges

Setting ethical standards for doctors
Approval of colleges
Registration of doctors
Maintenance of medical register of doctors
Maintenance of standards for medical education
Regulation of PG medical education(National Board of Examinations is
another body in PG education)

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Recognition of foreign qualifications in India

Surrogacy Regulation Bill

It allows altruistic surrogacy. However it does not allow commercial surrogacy.
The option is available to couple who are incapable of having a child biologically.
Altruistic surrogacy refers to surrogacy by a blood relative, without any material
incentive. The surrogate must be 25-35 years of age. She will be allowed
surrogacy only once in the lifetime.
Live-in and gay couples can not avail of surrogacy (Possible reason- Because gay
marriage is illegal in India).
Commercial surrogacy has been banned in most countries.

Benefits

To protect reproductive health of surrogate mother

Save the future of child
Discourage commercialization of womb
Middlemen take a greater part as their commission

German surrogacy issue

The issue came to forefront when a german doctor couple commissioned
surrogacy. When the child was born, the german couple had already separated
and they refused to accept the child. Thus, child became parentless and
nationality-less. Finally, the child was accepted by the German garandmother.
Similarly, in another incident, a couple was blessed with a twin in surrogacy. They
arbitrarily selected one and refused the other.
In another case, a surrogate mother was left with nothing after she had paid the
middlemen their commission.

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Amnesty International was slapped with sedition

charges after it organized an event to highlight human right violation in Kashmir
Valley.
Holland has decided to raise the issue at Human Rights Councils meeting called
UN UPR(Universal Periodic Review).
Also, President of HRW(Human Right Watch) wrote a letter to President of
European Commission to urge india to repeal AFSPA, sedition law and amend
FCRA. This was done to stop Indian government from interfering with right to
freedom of expression, choke dissent and stop peaceful activities of NGOs/ Civil
Society Organizations.
SC also ruled against blanket immunity to army in AFSPA areas. It said that every
encounter death must be probed. Killing must be the last option.

Commutation of life sentence of Rajiv Gandhis

assassins
In December 2007, India voted against a United Nations General Assembly
resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty. In November 2012,

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India again upheld its stance on capital punishment by voting against the UN
General Assembly draft resolution seeking to ban death penalty.
On 31 August 2015, the Law Commission of India submitted a report to the
government which recommended the abolition of capital punishment for all
crimes in India, excepting the crime of waging war against the nation or for
terrorism-related offences. The report cited several factors to justify abolishing
the death penalty, including its abolition by 140 other nations, its arbitrary and
flawed application and its lack of any proven deterring effect on criminals.
India hanged Ajmal Kasab(2008 Taj attack), Afzal Guru(2001 Parliament attack
case) and Yakub Memon(93 Mumbai bomings) in terrorism related cases.

Bachan Singh vs. State of Punjab (1980)

The Constitution Bench judgment of Supreme Court of India in Bachan Singh vs.
State of Punjab (1980) (2 SCC 684) made it very clear that Capital punishment in
India can be given only in rarest of rare cases. This judgement was in line with
the previous verdicts in Jagmohan Singh vs. State of Uttar Pradesh (1973), and
then in Rajendra Prasad vs. State of Uttar Pradesh (1979.
In Bachan Singh, PN Bhagwati in a minority judgement said that Section 302 is
against Art 14 and 21. However, the constitutional bench by 4-1 decided that
constitution makers were cognizant of the right of the state to deprive a person
of his life and they authorized state to do so by a just, fair and reasonable
procedure established by law.
Also, SC held that judges must consider the aggravating features of the crime, as
well as the mitigating factors of the criminal.
Error of not considering the circumstances of criminal was done in Ravji(96) and
Bariyar(2009) case. This was admitted by SC in Sangeet case(2012). This led to
commutation of at least 13 death row convicts. (Details: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/for-a-moratorium-on-deathsentence/article4181705.ece)

Other incidents
On 3 February 2013, in response to public outcry over a brutal gang rape in
Delhi, the Indian Government passed an ordinance which applied the death
penalty in cases of rape that leads to death or leaves the victim in a "persistent
vegetative state". The death penalty can also be handed down to repeat rape
offenders under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013.
In January 2014, a three-judge panel headed by Chief Justice of India Palanisamy
Sathasivam commuted sentences of 15 death row convicts, ruling that the
"inordinate and inexplicable delay is a ground for commuting death penalty to
life sentence". Supreme Court of India ruled that delays ranging from seven to
11 years in the disposal of mercy pleas are grounds for clemency. The same
panel also passed a set of guidelines for the execution of a death row convict,
which includes a 14-day gap from the receipt of communication of the rejection

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of the mercy petition to the scheduled execution date, after going through
the Shatrughan Chauhan vs. Union of India case. Subsequently, in February
2014, Supreme Court commuted death sentence of Rajiv Gandhi's killers on the
basis of 11-year delay in deciding on mercy plea. It was subsequently commuted
to life imprisonment. In March 2014, Supreme Court of India commuted death
sentence of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar, convicted in a 1993 Delhi
bombings case, to life imprisonment, both on the ground of
unexplained/inordinate delay of eight years in disposal of mercy petition and on
the ground of insanity/mental illness/schizophrenia.

Curative petition
The concept of Curative petition was evolved by the Supreme Court of India in
the matter of Rup
Ashok Hurra vs. Ashok Hurra and Anr. (2002) where the question was whether an
aggrieved person is entitled to any relief against the final judgement/order of the
Supreme Court, after dismissal of a review petition. The Supreme Court in the
said case held that to prevent abuse of its process and to cure gross miscarriage
of justice, it may reconsider its judgements in exercise of its inherent powers.

Scorpene submarine data leak

1500 tonne diesel electric conventional submarine
Under production in Mazgaon dock ltd.
Data leak pertaining to details of combat and stealth capabilities, such as
frequencies at which they gather intelligence and noise levels at various speeds.
Also, there is info on diving depth, range and endurance. There are specifications
of combat system and torpedo launch system.

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In 2005, 6 scorpenes were purchased from france for $3.75bn. They enhance
second strike capability, if country comes under nuclear attack.

AAP Centre controversy

Delhi govt wants full statehood for NCT of Delhi.
Centre returned 14 AAP govt bills as they were not presented to LG for previous
consent
Parliamentary Secretary and Office of Profit

PM targets Pakistan govt on human rights violation in

Baloch area
As a retaliatory measure on Paks similar charge in Kashmir Valley

SC directive violated on dahi handi festival by MNS

SC had fixed 20 ft as the maximum height and barred <18 yr old govindas from
participating in dahi handi.

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AMU Minority status(Art 30)

JNU Controversy(Sedition Act)-Rohit Vemula, kanhaiya, sedition act slapped on
NGO for holding meeting highlighting atrocities in Kashmir Valley
Perumal Murugan book(Art 19)- One Part Woman- Mathurobhagan
Criminal Defamation(Kejriwal Case)
UCC(Art 44)
AFSPA- SC order no blanket immunity every encounter killing must be probed
President Rule(Art 356)- Uttarakhand, Arunachal
National Waterways Bill Sagarmala Project
Green Highway Policy
Aadhar Bill Money Bill and speakers role

Inner Line Permit- Manipur

Naga Accord Art 371-A
Parliamentary Secretary and Office of Profit
Kashmir Art 370
Satluj Yamuna Link Canal
Polavaram Project Krishna- Goadavari link
States interference in Religion- SC order on Dahi handi and jalikattu, santhara,
meat ban in Mumbai during Payushana
National Water Framework Law
Amendment of citizenship act and citizenship to hindu refugees

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Rajya Sabha elections and cross voting
Baglihar, Kishanganga project and dragging by Pakistan to UN
Balochistan Issue
DTAA with Mauritius, Singapore- Tax heavens CGT will now be taxed
FTII issue- Appointment of Gajendra Chauhan
Censor Board chairman- Pahlaj Nihlani
Censor Board- Udta Punjab
Cinematograph Act
NIFT chairman- Chetan Sharma
Nehru Memorial Library
Autonomy of above state- funded institutions
OBC reservation issue Jat, Kapu, Patel
SC on reservation of PH candidates
Vijay Mallya- Ethics committee of Parliament
Blasphemy law- Kamlesh Tiwari
Shaktiman the horse Prevention of cruelty to animals Act

Bureau of Indian Standards Bill,15

Negotiable Instruments Ordinance,15
Real Estate Bill, 2014
Enemy Property Ordinance
Arbitration and Conciliation Bill, 15
Consumer Protection Bill, 15
Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Bill, 15
Indian Trusts Bill, 15
Labour laws Gujarat Bill, 15

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Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code
Black Money Act, 15
Maharastra Factory (Amendment) Bill, 15
National Judicial Accountability Bill
NJAC
National Food Security Bill
Anil Kaushal Committee on Spectrum
MB Shah Committee on illegal mining
Kirit Parekh Panel- fuel pricing

Combining rly and general budget

Shifting finnyr from apr to jan-dec
Daylight saving
Paternal leave
Mother teresa
National party status trinamool
Singur land return
Reliance jio launch
Shariat law- triple talag, polygamy, nikkah halala
ESMA applied to nurses strike
China's steel dumping and excess capacity issue in G20 meet
Cauvery water crisis
Rights of terrorists
Sri lanka has been declared malaria free
Temple entry movement- pre independence- vaikom satyagraha bcz of shani
shingnaour and hazi ali dargah
Home rule league bcz of 100 yrs

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List of people slapped with sedition cases - Arundhati Roy(Booker Prize winner),
Kanhaiya Kumar, Folk Singer S Covan, Dr Binayak Sen, anti Kudankulam activist
Sr SP Udayakumar. SC says that strong criticism does not amount to sedition.
Only incitement to violence or intention to create public disorder amounts to
sedition. SC asked police to list reasons why sedition act was slapped before
arresting someone.

Dog 'Bhadra' thrown off terrace in Chennai- Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act,
1960 (PCA Act, 1960)- Fine for killing a stray dog- Just Rs 50 and no jail term.
Animal Welfare Board of India- statutory body under PCA Act, 1960
Also add vermin- Schedule 5 of Wildlife Protection Act- Monkey, Blue Bull and
Also, Jallikattu- Cruelty to bulls

PM's name shown in reliance jio ad

Company says it was to show the vision of digital India
Emblems and NAmes(Prevention of improper use) Act 1950 does not allow use of
name emblem and seal of UN, WHO, and Indian flag. Later on name and picture
of PM(except in calendar) were added.

Paris deal
US- 26-28% cut below 2005 levels till 2025
China- 60-65% cut below 2005 levels till 2030
Also, China will increase 20% of its primary energy consumption through
non fossil fuel sources.

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