30/08/2022

1. A.P. to raise bifurcation issues in SZC meet

Context:
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy asked the authorities concerned to ensure that key
issues pertaining to the State including the unresolved ones pertaining to bifurcation were
brought up in the Southern Zonal Council (SZC) meet, scheduled to be held in
Thiruvananthapuram on September 3.
Background:
 Zonal Councils are the statutory (and not the constitutional) bodies.
 They are established by an Act of the Parliament, that is, States Reorganisation Act of
1956.
 The act divided the country into five zones- Northern, Central, Eastern, Western and
Southern and provided a zonal council for each zone.
 While forming these zones, several factors have been taken into account which
include:
 The natural divisions of the country.
 The river systems and means of communication.
 The cultural and linguistic affinity.
 The requirements of economic development, security and law and order.
 In addition to the above-mentioned Zonal Councils, a North-Eastern Council was
created by a separate Act of Parliament, the North-Eastern Council Act of 1971.
 Its members include Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland,
Meghalaya, Tripura and Sikkim.
 These are advisory bodies that make recommendations with regard to any matter of
common interest in the field of economic and social planning between the Centre and
States border disputes, linguistic minorities, inter-State transport or matters connected
with the reorganisation of States.
Organizational Structure:
 Chairman: The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils.
 Vice Chairman: The Chief Ministers of the States included in each zone act as Vice-
Chairman of the Zonal Council for that zone by rotation, each holding office for a
period of one year at a time.
 Members: Chief Minister and two other Ministers as nominated by the Governor from
each of the States and two members from Union Territories included in the zone.
 Advisers: One person nominated by the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) for
each of the Zonal Councils, Chief Secretaries and another officer/Development
Commissioner nominated by each of the States included in the Zone.

Objectives:
 Bringing out national integration.
  Arresting the growth of acute State consciousness, regionalism, linguism and
particularistic tendencies.
 Enabling the Centre and the States to co-operate and exchange ideas and experiences.
 Establishing a climate of co-operation amongst the States for successful and speedy
execution of development projects.
Functions of the Councils:
 Any matter of common interest in the field of economic and social planning,
 Any matter concerning border disputes, linguistic minorities or inter-State transport,
 Any matter connected with or arising out of, the reorganization of the States under the
States Reorganisation Act.

The Southern Zonal Council: It comprises the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
AP bifurcation issues:
There are 14 assurances in the main sections of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act,
2014.
1) Fully implemented – 0
2) Partly implemented –5 (Special Development Package for 7 districts; Polavaram;
Educational Institutions and Infrastructure Projects; Tax incentives, Support for Capital)
3) Not implemented –9 (Greyhounds; APLA seats; Division of properties of A.P. Bhavan;
Apportionment of Tax arrears, loans and refunds; Government of India reference under Sec.
66; Apportionment of Schedule IX Government Companies and Corporations; Bifurcation of
Schedule X Institutions; Bifurcation of Schedule X Institutions; River Management Boards)

2. Telugu Bhasha Dinotsavam was celebrated on 29th August across the state
Context:
Speaking at the ‘Telugu Bhasha Dinotsavam’, Official Language Commission Chairman
Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad recalled the contribution of Gidugu Rammurthy for freeing
Telugu from the bondage of classical style and making it accessible to the comnon man.

Background:
Gidugu Ramamurthy:
Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy's (1863-1940) contribution to Telugu language specifically
Vaaduka Bhasha (Colloquial language) is immense. He was instrumental in deciphering the
Granthika Bhasha (classical Telugu infused heavily with Sanskrit) used in text books and
literature and simplifying it, such that it could be made available to the masses. In the process
he managed to bring to the forefront the beauty and lucidity of the colloquial language. In
short he was the revolutionary behind the usage of simple Telugu language in Andhra
Pradesh. He was linguist and spoke many languages fluently and in fact researched in several
languages. A historian, social reformer and a rationalist he worked tirelessly, with dedication
to his cause coupled with good intent. Literature that was solely restricted to the intellectuals
and scholars of the era finally could be accessed by the masses, nothing short of a
reformation in the history of the Telugu language. In order to honour his contribution to the
Telugu language, his birthday on the 29th of August is celebrated as the "Telugu Bhasha
Dinotsavam" or "Telugu Language Day".

Gidugu Ramamurthy was born in the village called Parvatalapeta, close to Sri Mukhalingam,
in the Srikakulam district by the Vamsadhara River on the border of Orissa. His father
Veeraraju was a revenue inspector and passed away when Ramamurthy was just 12 and spent
his younger years with his mother Venkamma. He studied privately and cleared his
matriculation while staying in his sister's house and thereafter started his life as a teacher in
Gajapati Maharaja School, Parlakimidi, in a career that spanned for 55 years. Gidugu also
rendered his services to the tribals, especially the Savaras, in Parlakimidi area of Srikakulam
districts agency areas and tirelessly worked for the development of tribal languages. He gave
Savara language a simple script and prepared lexicons that anybody could learn in a matter of
days. His research for Savara language required him to travel to the tribal areas infested with
Malaria and hence needed to be treated with quinine which rendered him deaf. This shows his
commitment to a given cause and the dedication to solve it. These qualities in Gidugu have
led people to call "Pidugu" in Telugu, which means a thunderbolt. Telugu people today owe
immense gratitude to this great man, who was the son of the soil of Srikakulam. Gidugu died
on the 22nd of January 1940 at the age of 77 in Srikakulam, leaving the great contribution of
colloquial Telugu for all the future speakers of the language.

3. 100 kg ganja seized from ambulance, one held

Context:
A police team from Gajuwaka Police Station has seized an ambulance in which about 100 kg
of ganja was being transported.
Background:
Cannabis or Ganja:
 According to the WHO, cannabis is a generic term used to denote the several
psychoactive preparations of the plant Cannabis sativa.

 According to the WHO, cannabis is by far the most widely cultivated, trafficked and
abused illicit drug in the world.
 The major psychoactive constituent in cannabis is Delta9
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
 The unpollinated female plants are called hashish. Cannabis oil (hashish oil) is a
concentrate of cannabinoids (compounds which are structurally similar to THC)
obtained by solvent extraction of the crude plant material or of the resin.
 According to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985
“cannabis plant” means any plant of the genus cannabis.

 ‘Charas’ is the separated resin extracted from the cannabis plant. The NDPS Act
covers separated raisin, in whatever form, whether crude or purified, obtained from
the cannabis plant and also includes concentrated preparation and resin known as
hashish oil or liquid hashish.
 The Act defines ‘ganja’ as the flowering or fruiting tops of the cannabis plant but it
clearly excludes the seeds and leaves.
 The Act illegalises any mixture with or without any neutral material, of any of the two
forms of cannabis, charas and ganja, or any drink prepared from it.
 The legislature left seeds and leaves of the cannabis plant out of the ambit of the
Act, because the serrated leaves of the plant have negligible THC content.
 ‘Bhang’, which is commonly consumed during festivals like Holi, is a paste made out
of the leaves of the cannabis plant, and is hence not outlawed.
 Similarly, CBD oil, an acronym for cannabidiol derived from the leaves of the
cannabis plant, would not come under the NDPS Act.
 The NDPS Act does not permit the recreational use of cannabis in India.
 While CBD oil manufactured with a licence under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,
1940 can be legally used, it is not very common.
Ganja cultivation in AP:
 The earliest traces of ganja cultivation in the Visakha ‘agency’ area (named so under
the Agency Act passed during the British regime in the Madras presidency) date back
to the early 70s. The first case of ganja smuggling was recorded almost 45 years ago
in 1973, even before the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act came into
force in 1985.
  The state has a history of ganja cultivation spanning at least four decades, with the
crop being grown extensively in interior pockets of Visakhapatnam district, and along
the Andhra-Odisha border, and 11 Mandals, according to police officials. Nine of
these 11 mandals fall in the thickly forested Eastern Ghats. Among them are Gudem
Kotha Veedhi, Pedabayalu, Munchingi Puttu, Gangaraju Madugula and Chintapalli,
where ganja is grown extensively.

 Lack of proper connectivity makes these areas tricky terrain for law enforcement
agencies. As a result, tribals have taken to growing cannabis in these areas due to
lucrative and easy returns, and minimum effort required to grow the crop.

 A strong Maoist presence in these areas has also proved to be an obstacle for law
enforcement agencies. Moreover, the failure of consecutive governments to
empower gram sabhas (village committees), enforce development and provide
alternative occupations to the tribals has pushed the latter towards cannabis
cultivation, say former government officials.

 The kind of ‘weed’ grown in the state is called ‘Sheelavathi’ — which has a nation-
wide demand as it is considered one of the best in terms of quality in the country,
according to SEB officials.

 In October last year, Hyderabad Police had seized 300 kg of ganja, and a month
before that Delhi Police said they seized another 358 kg consignment. In both cases,
the drugs were reportedly procured in Andhra. In similar seizures in Karnataka
(Bengaluru), Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, local police hinted at Andhra connections.
Operation Parivarthana:
The main aim of the Andhra Police’s special project ‘Operation Parivarthana’ — which
began last October — is to curtail ganja cultivation by destroying crops, setting up awareness
programmes for farmers, and cracking down on smugglers and drug peddlers.
The operation is being carried out under the supervision of state Director General of Police
(DGP) D. Gautam Sawang and teams of the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB), a
specialised agency created last September to check illegal transportation of liquor and drugs
in the state.

4. SRM University to lead ‘SATHI’ in five varsities

Context:
The SRM University-A.P. has launched an initiative under the Department of Society and
Technology's Sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institute (SATHI) Programme -
2022 for research in a cluster of higher educational institutions.
Background:
  The Department of Science & Technology (Ministry of Science and Technology) has
launched a unique scheme called Sophisticated Analytical & Technical Help Institutes
(SATHI).
 The DST has already set up 3 such centres in the country, one each at IIT Kharagpur,
IIT Delhi and BHU. It is planned to set up 5 SATHI Centres every year for the next
four years.
 These Centres have major analytical instruments and advanced manufacturing
facilities to provide common services of high-end analytical testing, thus avoiding
duplication and reduced dependency on foreign sources.

5. Andhra Pradesh Registers the highest number of cases under Sedition law
Context:
According to National Crime Records Bureau of India’s Accidental report 2021, Andhra
Pradesh stood at 1rd position among the states in number of cases under IPC section 124A in
2021.

Background:

 According to report from NCRB, 38.15% of total cases registered under sedition law
during 2021 were from Andhra Pradesh itself.

Sedition law:
Historical Background:
 Sedition laws were enacted in 17th century England when lawmakers believed that
only good opinions of the government should survive, as bad opinions were
detrimental to the government and monarchy.
 The law was originally drafted in 1837 by Thomas Macaulay, the British historian-
politician, but was inexplicably omitted when the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was
enacted in 1860.
 Section 124A was inserted in 1870 by an amendment introduced by Sir James
Stephen when it felt the need for a specific section to deal with the offence.
 Today the Sedition is a crime under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Sedition Law Today:
Section 124A IPC:
 It defines sedition as an offence committed when "any person by words, either spoken
or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to
bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the
government established by law in India".
  Disaffection includes disloyalty and all feelings of enmity. However, comments
without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, will not
constitute an offence under this section.
Punishment for the Offence of Sedition:
 It is a non-bailable offence. Punishment under Section 124A ranges from
imprisonment up to three years to a life term, to which a fine may be added.
 A person charged under this law is barred from a government job.
 They have to live without their passport and must produce themselves in the court at
all times as and when required.
Recently, The Supreme Court put on hold the colonial-era penal provision of sedition and
asked the Centre and state governments to refrain from registering any FIRs under
the sedition provision, Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, till review of the law by
Centre is complete.