Supreme Court guidelines for
govt. advertisements using public money (Madhav Menon Committee report)
1)
The Supreme Court restrained the government from publishing the
photographs of political leaders, Ministers or prominent persons in government advertisements
in a landmark judgment holding that taxpayers’ money cannot be spent to build
the “personality cults” of political leaders.
Ø Holding that such
personal glorification and image-making at public expense was a “direct antithesis
of democratic functioning.
2)
Exceptions : The court drew an exception
to this restraint in the case of the President, the Prime Minister and the Chief
Justice of India.
Ø They have to decide for
themselves whether or not their photographs should appear in a government
advertisement.
3)
Besides this leeway, the judgment only gives space for publishing
the photos of “acknowledged personalities” like Mahatma Gandhi to commemorate
their anniversaries.
4)
The Guidelines :
i.
The verdict relies on guidelines on ‘Content Regulation of
Government Advertising’ framed by a three- member committee, led by legal
academician N.R. Madhava Menon. The panel was set up by the Supreme Court in
2014.
ii.
The judgment accepted the panel’s guidelines that covers all forms
of advertising, including on the Internet, introducing some modifications.
iii.
The Madhava Menon Committee wanted the exemption accorded not just
to the President, the PM and the CJI but also the Governors and the Chief
Ministers.
iv.
The judgment differed with the recommendation to impose a special
curb on government advertisements on election eve. Drawing a distinction
between “government messaging” and “politically motivated ads”, it said such a
curb is unnecessary on election eve provided the advertisement serves the
public interest and facilitates dissemination of information.
5)
Three member Ombudsman body :
Ø The Supreme Court
improvised on the N.R. Madhava Menon Committee’s recommendations to direct the
government to appoint a three-member ombudsman body of persons with
“unimpeachable integrity” to monitor and redress violations of the guidelines against
publishing of photographs of political leaders, ministers or prominent persons
in government advertisements.
Ø SC disagreed with the
panel’s suggestion for a separate performance audit of compliance with these
advertisement guidelines, to be conducted on Ministries, departments and agencies.
6)
The court clarified that the judgment was not comprehensive and
gave the executive liberty to further work on it in the public interest.
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Status of MDG target : India
1)
India has met only four of ten health targets under the Millennium
Development Goals (MDG) and has
made next to no progress on another four, according to WHO’s annual World Health Statistics for 2015
made next to no progress on another four, according to WHO’s annual World Health Statistics for 2015
2)
The deadline for achieving MDGs runs out this year.
3)
The report finds that globally, life expectancy at birth has
increased by six years for both men and women since
1990.
1990.
4)
The world will meet global targets for turning around the
epidemics of HIV, malaria and tuberculosis and increasing access to safe drinking
water.
5)
The world had substantial progress in reducing child under-nutrition,
maternal and child deaths, and increasing access to basic sanitation.
6)
Infant Mortality : Progress in child
survival worldwide is one of the greatest success stories of international
development.
Ø Since 1990, child deaths have
almost halved — falling from an estimated 90 deaths per 1000 live births to 46 deaths
per 1000 live births in 2013.
Ø Yet the world will not achieve
the MDG target of reducing the death rate by two-thirds.
Ø Less than one-third of
all countries have achieved or are on track to meet this target by the end of
this year.
Ø Top killers of children aged
less than 5 years are now: pre-term birth complications, pneumonia, birth
asphyxia and diarrhoea.
7)
In India, life expectancy grew by eight years between 1990 and
2013.
8)
India has sharply reduced its infant mortality between 2000 and 2013,
it still contributes for the most infant deaths globally.
9)
In September, countries will decide on new goals for 2030 :
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
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Overhaul of Child Labour Laws
1)
The Cabinet has approved a proposal to ban employment of children
aged under 14 in all kinds of commercial enterprises.
Ø The Child Labour
Prohibition Act, 1986, imposes the ban on only 18 hazardous industries.
2)
Exception : work done
in family enterprises and on farmlands, provided it is done after school hours
and during vacations.
3)
The proposed amendment Bill will be in sync with the Right to
Education Act that guarantees children aged between six and 14 the right to go
to school.
4)
The Cabinet has barred employment of adolescents (14 to 18 years)
in hazardous occupations and processes in the chemical industry and mines.
5)
The changes provide for stricter punishment for employers for
violation.
Ø there is no penalty for
parents for the first offence
Ø the employer will be
liable for punishment even for the first violation
6)
Opposition
:
i.
Child rights activists had argued that the definition of family
enterprises can include matchbox making, carpet weaving and gem-polishing
industries where child labour is in high demand.
ii.
They have also argued that the new norms can be used to deny
education to the girl child who will be stuck with household work.
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