On 14 April a group of five former secretaries of health and bio-technology departments as well former Medical Council of India members including former bureaucrats and prominent doctors, charging that the Medical Council of India (MCI), was “highly corrupt” and had lost the credibility, have pleaded the Prime Minister to revamp the medical regulator, bring transparency and assure the owners of hospital chains and colleges having “deep conflicts of interest” do not enter the body.

The group, in the letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding his ‘personal involvement’ has alleged that successive Governments have displayed their “inability” in handling “compromised” individuals in the Medical Council of India. They have also urged the PM to take steps to revamp the curricula for graduate and post graduate medical education and dividing the three functions of regulation, education and accreditation within the MCI.

The Letter said, “We request that implementation of the recommendations is taken up without delay…. ensure better quality of the doctors being produced….”.

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Background of the ‘Revamp’ demand

Recently, a Parliamentary panel had recommended restructuring MCI, stating that its current composition is “biased” against the wider public health goals and is an “exclusive club” of medical doctors from corporate hospitals and private practice.

The panel had clearly said that the elected MCI neither represented “professional excellence nor its ethos”,

What is Medical Council of India

Medical Council of India (MCI) is a statutory body with the responsibility of setting up and maintaining high standard of medical education and recognition of medical qualifications in India. It grants registrations to doctors to practice in India with an intention to promote and protect the health and safety of the public by assuring proper standards in the practice of medicine. At present Dr. Jayshreeban Mehta is the President of Medical Council of India.

History of MCI

The MCI was first set up in 1934, under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1993. The Council was later restructured under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 by replacing the earlier Act of 1934. This was followed by the President of India superseding the Council and entrusting its functions  to a Board of Governors. The present Board of Governor was notified on 13 May 2011.

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Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY), a village development project, was launched by the Government of India on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Jayprakash Narayan on 11^th October 2014. Under this project, the Parliament is to take the responsibility of developing physical and institutional infrastructure in three villages by 2019.

Goal of Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana

Originally, the goal of Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana is to develop three Adarsh Gram (falling within the areas one of MP) by March 2019, of which one is to be accomplished by 2016. After that five such Adarsh Grams (one per year per MP) is going to be selected and developed by 2024.

The MPs have been directed to identify one Gram Panchayat, from their respective constituencies, immediately and two others are to be taken up a little later.

While Lok Sabha MP has to select a Gram Panchayat from within her/his constituency, the Rajya Sabha MP has to select a Gram Panchayat from the Rural area of the district of her/his liking in the State from which s/he has been elected.

However, the nominated MPs have got the advantage of selecting a Gram Panchayat from the rural area of any district in the country. In the Urban constituencies where there are no Gram Panchayats, the MP has got the advantage of identifying a Gram Panchayat from a nearby rural constituency.

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Objectives of SAGY

The objectives of the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana are: to initiate processes leading to holistic development of the selected Gram Panchayats; to substantially enhance the standard of living and quality of life of all the members of the society through improved basic amenities, higher productivity, enhanced human development, reduced disparities, better livelihood opportunities, access to rights and entitlements, wider social mobilization, enriched social capital, etc. and to nurture the selected Adarsh Grams as schools of local development to train and inspire other Gram Panchayats.

Approach of SAPY

In order to accomplish its objectives Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana would be guided by the approach of: building partnerships with voluntary organizations, co-operatives and academic and research institutions; using the leadership, commitment and energy of the Member of Parliament (MP) to develop Adarsh Gram Panchayats; engaging with and mobilizing the community to participate in local level development; focusing on results and sustainability.

Performance Evaluation under SAGY

It has been suggested to have a mid-term evaluation of performance by a competent independent agency. Apart from this a post-project assessment of performance and results would be similary undertaken.

It has been decided that four kinds of awards will be give in the following categories:

1. Best Adarsh Grams
2. Best Practices
3. Best charge Officer
4. Best District Collectors.

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From 15 to 19 December the Tenth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization was held in Nairobi, Kenya. At this 20^th anniversary of WTO its achievements were recalled during the conference by all members. Let’s have a look on the relationship between WTO and India.

The outcomes of the conference, containing Ministerial Decisions on agriculture, cotton and issue related to Least Developed Countries (LDCs), had been termed as “National Package”.

These decisions enveloped public stockholding for food security purposes; a Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) for developing countries, a commitment to repeal export subsidies for farm exports particularly from the developed countries and measures concerning cotton. Decisions about preferential treatment to LDCs in the field of services was made. Decisions were also made about fixing criteria to determine whether exports from LDCs may benefit from trade preferences.

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An important issue like the fortune of the Doha round of trade negotiations was also discussed at the conference. Although these negotiations initiated in 2001, it remains unfinished till now.

WTO and India’s Stand

India has made its stand clear by saying that the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) must persist after the Nairobi Conference and any new issue must not be introduced into the WTO agenda an until the DDA has been completed. The DDA was initiated as a development Round to favour a large number of developing countries and LDCs. However, a few developed countries like USA are not in the favour of the continuation of the Doha Round.

India, anticipating that the future of Doha Round is in doubt, asked for and succeed in clinching a reformative Ministerial Decision on Public Stockholding for food security Purposes, honouring both the Bali Ministerial and General Council Decisions. The decision seeks the commitment from the members to engage constructively in getting to a permanent solution to this issue.

In the same manner and spirit, a large group of developing countries has long been demanding a Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) for agricultural products. With an intention to ensure that this issue of SSM remains on the agenda of the future discussions in the WTO, India negotiated a Ministerial Decision that recognizes that developing countries will have the right to have resort to an SSM as prescribed in the mandate.

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All countries agreed to the annulment of agricultural export subsidies subject to the protection of special and differential treatment for developing countries such as longer phase-out period for transportation and marketing export subsidies for exporting agricultural products.

Developed countries have agreed, in principle, to eliminate export subsidies immediately except for a few agricultural products. The developing countries will have to do this eliminating thing by 2018. Developing countries are going to keep the flexibility to cover marketing and Transport subsidies for agriculture exports till the end of 2013, and net additional time to curtail such export subsidies.

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From 15^th January 2016 the Juvenile Justice Act (Care and Protection of Children), 2015 came into force by replacing the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.

Objective of Juvenile Justice Act, 2015

The Act aims to cement and amend the law related to children, who are alleged and found to be in conflict with law and children in need of protection and care by providing them their basic needs through proper care, protection, development treatment, social re-integration, by adopting a child-friendly approach.

Key Provisions of Juvenile Justice Act, 2015

With an intention to remove the negative connotation associated with the word ‘Juvenile’ the Act has included change in nomenclature from ‘Juvenile’ to ‘child’ or ‘Child in conflict with law’ across its whole text.

The Act includes several new definitions such as orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children, and petty, serious and heinous offences committed by children. The Act clearly sets a timeliness for inquiry by Juvenile Justice Broad (JJB).

In the Act has been incorporated a separate new chapter on Adoption to streamline adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children. Special provisions has been incorporated in the new Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 for heinous offences committed by children above the age of sixteen years.

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Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 treats ‘Juveniles’ as ‘Adults’

The Act permits for ‘Juveniles’ (16 years or above) to be tried as adults for heinous offences such as rape and murder. It is important here to comprehend that in law heinous offences are those offences which are punishable with imprisonment of seven years or more. The JJB has been provided with the option to transfer cases of heinous offences by such children to a children’s court (Court of Session) after conducting preliminary assessment.

In the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 a provision has been introduced for placing children in a ‘place of safety’ both during and after the trial till they get to the age of 21 years; after that an evaluation of “the child in conflict with law’ shall be conducted by the Children Court.

After the evaluation, according to the Act, the child will be released on probation, and if it is found that the child is not reformed then the child will be sent to a jail for remaining term. The Act has made it ample clear that the law is going to act as a deterrent for child offenders committing heinous offences such as rape and murder and will protect the victim’s rights.

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On 5 April, 2016, the Environment Ministry notified the new Solid Waste Management (SWM) rules 2016. As per these new rules the people of India may soon have to pay for management and disposal of solid waste. These rules also have provisions for spot fines for littering public spaces.

The new SWS rules are being revised and renewed after a gap of 16 years and will take the place of Solid Waste Management rules, 2000.

Speaking on the new Solid Waste Management rules, 2016, the Union environment Minister Prakas Javadkar said that there were some municipal areas in the country where the system of charging people for waste management already existed. He further added that the new rules gave powers to local bodies across India to decide the user fees.

However, for the bulk waste generators such as hotels, industry and other, the user fee is mandatory. These bulk waste generators would have to focus on waste segregation also.

The SWM rules 2016, have broadened the ambit of the rule, the previous rule of 2000, beyond municipal areas by including urban agglomerations, notified industrial townships, areas under Indian Railways, airports, ports and harbours, defense establishments, special economic zones, state and central organizations, places of pilgrimage, religious and historical importance.

The new Solid Waste Management rules, defining sanitary waste such as sanitary pads, call for their proper disposal. The rules describing the responsibility of the manufacturers, state, “Manufacturers or brand owners or marketing companies of sanitary napkin and diapers should explore possibility of using recyclable materials in their products….. They shall provide a pouch or wrapper for disposal of each napkin or diapers along with packet of sanitary products”. The rules call upon companies to educate masses about proper wrapping and disposal of such wastes.

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Solid Waste Management a problem to be solved

Solid Waste Management is/has been a major problem across India as untreated waste disposed in open has incited water pollution and clogged sewer systems. According to official estimates, at present 62 million tones of solid waste is generated every year; however, only 43 million tones is collected and out of which only 12 million tones is treated.

During the last one month, the environment ministry has announced waste management rules for plastic waste, solid waste and construction and demolition waste.

According to the Union Environment Minister the new rules of Solid Waste Management is an effort to overhaul the system to obtain the objectives of Swachh Bharat.

The rules also concentrates on making ragpickers an integral part of waste management system. Shedding light on the monitoring and implementing the new rules the Minister informed that ‘a cell has been formed within the ministry to oversee the progress.

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