clataffairs

Delhi court sent a 21-year-old climate activist, Disha Ravi, to five days police custody in connection with allegedly being involved in sharing a “toolkit” on social media related to the farmers’ protest.  The police said her custody was required to probe an alleged larger conspiracy against the government of India and to ascertain her alleged role relating to the Khalistan movement. THE TOOLKIT CONTROVERSY  It started with Greta Thunberg sharing a toolkit on her twitter account. She deleted the tweet a few minutes later and shared an 'updated' version of the toolkit.  The toolkit has been claimed as the proof of the Khalistani conspiracy against India by many critics. In the document, various urgent actions, including creating a Twitter storm and protesting outside Indian embassies, were listed which were needed to be taken to support the farmers' protest. The Delhi Police has claimed pro-Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation is the key conspirator behind the toolkit...

The Supreme Court suspended the implementation of the laws until further notice.  It also decided to set up a committee comprising experts to hear the parties and understand the ground situation. The court’s sharp remarks came during a hearing on petitions challenging the farm laws and the farmer agitation at the Delhi borders. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, Justices V Ramasubramanian and AS Bopanna gave the ruling. THE COMMITTEE The committee comprises 4 members.  The committee has been appointed for the purpose of listening to the grievances of farmers relating to the farm laws and views of the government to make recommendations.  The four members are: Bhupinder Singh Mann: He is currently the president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU). Anil Ghanwat: He is currently the president of the Shetkari Sanghatana, a Maharashtra-based union that was founded by the legendary farm leader Sharad Joshi. Dr Pramod Kumar Joshi: He is a known name in the fie...

  PROVISIONS  The bill takes away cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities.  Therefore, these commodities are now free of the Essential Commodities Act restrictions and stand deregulated.  However, the central government has retained the right to regulate them under extraordinary circumstances, such as in case of a war, famine, natural calamity, and impose stock limits if there is a steep rise in prices. PROS The move will attract private sector/FDI into farm sector as it will remove hairs of private investors of excessive regulatory interference in business operations.  This in further will bring investment for farm infrastructure like cold storages, and modernizing food supply chains. The amendment will help both farmers and Consumers by bringing in price stability. It will create a competitive market environment and cut wastage of farm produce. CONS Price limits for extraordinary circumstances are so hi...

  PROVISIONS  The bill creates a framework for contract farming.  It provides a template at the national level of farming agreements, with regard to agribusiness, processing, and the entire range of services for sale of farming produce at a mutually pre-agreed price through a contract. The services include wholesalers, exporters and large retailers. The Act provides for a three-level dispute settlement mechanism by the conciliation board, Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Appellate Authority. The agreement must provide for a conciliation board as well as a conciliation process for settlement of disputes. PROS Farmers can enter into a contract with the business persons in advance at a pre-agreed price which will help farmers in fetching a higher prices.  Farmers can transfer the risk of market unpredictability.  Farmers can engage in direct marketing by eliminating intermediaries for full price realization. CONS Farmers in contract farming agreements will be the weak...

PROVISIONS It seeks to completely open up the sale of produce outside the Agricultural Produce Market Committees, or the APMCs.  It not only creates an e-highway for trading and transactions, but also creates a structure for e-trading of agriculture produce.  Farmers are allowed to sell their produce outside of the APMCs.  The market is thrown completely open for the private players to come in the agriculture sector and deal directly with the farmers. The act also prohibits state governments from levying any market fee or cess on farmers, traders and electronic trading platforms for trading farmers’ produce in an 'outside trade area'. PROS It will create an ecosystem where farmers and traders enjoy the freedom to sell and purchase farm produce outide registered 'mandis' under states' APMCs. It will promote barrier-free inter-state and intra-state trade of farmers' produce. It will reduce marketing/transportation costs and help farmers in getting better prices. I...