Curbs on Governors' outstation
visits
1)
The Union Home Ministry has notified a new set of rules to
“regulate” official visits of Governors outside their States amending the
Governors (Allowances and Privileges) Rules. It seeks to discourage a
Governor’s visit to the home State.
2)
It mandates prior permission from the President and putting a
cap of 73 days in a year or 20 per cent of the days in a calendar year as
duration of such visits.
3)
Even under emergency or extraordinary circumstances, the
Governor cannot undertake visits without intimating the President’s Secretariat.
4)
In case of emergent or extraordinary circumstances, the
intimation shall contain details of the circumstances and the compelling
reasons why it was not possible to obtain prior permission.
5)
The Governor shall invariably obtain clearance under the Foreign
Contribution Regulation Act and political clearance before undertaking any
foreign visit.
6)
The Governors have to seek permission from the President for
private visits within India at least two weeks in advance, except under
exceptional circumstances.
Ø Communications pertaining
to private visits abroad have to be made at least six weeks in advance.
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13th U.N. Congress on Crime Prevention and
Criminal Justice
1)
In a major push towards recovering black money stashed in safe
havens abroad, a U.N. conference endorsed India’s suggestions on promoting global
cooperation in fighting the menace of money-laundering, international terrorism
and cyber crime.
2)
A Doha Declaration was adopted during the high-level segment of
the meeting.
3)
Following up on G20’s endorsement of concerns raised by it on
black money, India put immense importance on the acceptance of a statement that
will facilitate the eventual confiscation of “money and other assets that have
not been accounted for and that are found in safe havens.
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EC committee on voting rights for migrants
1)
Election Commission has set up a committee of senior officers to
consider whether electoral laws can be changed to empower voters who have migrated
to other States within the country.
2)
This follows after the government’s green light to NRIs to cast
their votes from abroad.
3)
EC is considering :
i.
whether inter-State migrant voters could retain their names on
the electoral rolls of their native places
ii.
casting of their votes through mechanisms such as postal ballot
4)
Under the present law, a person can be enrolled only at the
place he is residing. A migrant has to get himself enrolled in the new place.
5)
A plea made by UAE-based doctor Shamsheer V.P in Supreme Court, sought
the same voting privileges accorded to government servants under Section 20(8)
(d) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, read with Section 60(b) of
the Representation of the People Act 1951, which allowed them to vote via
postal ballot upon the consent of the Election Commission.
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