Five   X   Five Prelims news    (2 August)

Five   X   Five Prelims news    (2 August)

Five   X   Five Prelims news    (2 August)

Five   X   Five Prelims news    (2 August)

• • Five   X   Five Prelims news    (2 August)

• The  Kerala government has opposed the new set of proposed amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act.

the amendments are a breach of States Rights as minerals come under the purview of States.

• Centre to auction some minerals from the list of atomic minerals
• objection is against the sixth item  that will empower the Centre to auction some minerals from the list of atomic minerals.

Entry 23 of List II and Article 246(3):State Governments are the owners of the

• mines and minerals located within the territory of the State concerned, and under  Entry 23 of List II of the Constitution and the Constitutional right of the State under Article 246(3), State Assemblies can make laws on such minerals.

Items in List II in the Seventh Schedule (in this Constitution referred to as the“State List”).

• • Monazite:
  • . It is one of the beach sand minerals that contain rare earth like  lanthanum, cerium,praseodymium, neodymium etc.
  • . It also contains thorium which is a “prescribed substance”, the list of which was
  • revised in 2006 under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962.
  • .It is a rare phosphate mineral that usually occurs in small isolated grains in Igneous and Metamorphic rocks such as granite, pegmatite, schist, and gneiss.
  • .It is translucent and one of the most resistant minerals to weathering.
  • . It is a radioactive atomic mineral used for the production of Thorium
  • and has the potential to be used as fuel in the nuclear power system

(2)  the Antarctic Treaty, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.

• • The Antarctic Treaty was signed in1949 , implemented in 1961
  • Presently, the total number of parties to the treaty is including India is 54.
  • Key Features of the bill
  • Prohibit Indian expedition to Antarctica without permit or written authorisation of another party to Antarctic Treaty.
  • Antarctic fund for the welfare of Antarctic research work and protection
  • of Antarctic environment.
  • Extend jurisdiction of Indian courts to Antarctica and lays out penal provision for crimes on the continent by Indian citizens, foreign citizens who
  • are part of Indian expeditions.
  • Establish Committee on Antarctic Governance and Environmental Protection to monitor, implement and ensure compliance with international laws, emissions standards. Prohibits mining, dredging and activities that threaten pristine conditions of Antarctica.

(3)Pendency in High courts-

• • As per latest data revealed in Parliament:
  • Over 59 lakh cases were pending in the High Courts until July 22 ­­.

Allahabad High Court has the highest number of pending cases at over 10 lakh.

There are 4 women judges in the Supreme Court and 96women judges in the High Courts.

(4)Pitch Black

• • India will be part of this air combat exercise in Australia including 16 other nations.
  • It is a biennial multi-national large force employment exercise conducted by the Royal Australian Air Force  RAAF.

(5)Ministry of RoadTransport and Highways is planning to launch 10 road and highway, InvITs that will raise money from small investors

• • InvITs are investment scheme similar to mutual funds that allow investment from individuals and institutional investors in infrastructure projects to earn a portion of income as return.
  • It is part of governments plans to tap alternative sources of financing to boost public spendingin roads and infrastructure sector