Daily News Mail - News of 13/04/2015

Election commission to set up committee to allow migrant to vote  

• The government's green light to NRIs to cast their votes form abroad, the Election Commission has set up committee of senior officers to consider whether electoral laws can be changed to empower voters who have migrated to other States within the country.
• The poll body is considering whether inter-State migrant voters could retain their names on the electoral rolls of their native place, and also, if they could cast their votes through mechanisms such as postal ballot.
• Under the prevailing law, a person can be enrolled only at the place he is residing.A migrant has to get himself enrolled in the new place.
• A relaxation of this law would prove beneficial to cadre-based parties in keeping their vote bank intact,especially in States such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu where many youths are migrating to other states for jobs.
• In an affidavit filed before the supreme court. the poll body said the committee was set up despite scepticism about the need to amend the Representation of the People Act. 
• The poll body was responding to a notice issued by the Supreme Court on January 12,2015. on a plea made by UAE-based doctor Shamsheer V.P, represented by senior advocate Dushyant Dave and advocate Haris Beeran, demanding electoral reforms to allow inter-State migrants the voting privileges like postal ballot,which is accorded to government servants.
• The commission said a person who migrated can be considered "ordinarily resident" in his new place even without owning or possessing a house there. It said the law was reasonable as it is now.
• The application filled by Dr. Shamsheer sought the same voting privileges accorded to government servants under section 20(8)(d)of Representation of 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.

Curbs on Governors' outstation visits

• The Union Home Ministry has notified a new set of rules to "regulate"official visits of Governors outside their States,mandating prior permission from the President and putting a cap of 73 days in a year as duration of such visits.
• Amending the Governors (Allowances and Privileges) Rules, the Ministry issued a notification on February 10 saying that all outstation visits will require prior approval of the President. Any communication on this will have to be forwarded to the President's Secretariat at least seven day in advance.
• The notification, which seeks to discourage a Governor's visit to the home state, says that copies of all communications seeking approval of the President for visits should be sent to the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary and the Union Home Minister. 
• Even under emergency or extraordinary circumstances,the Governor cannot undertakes visits without intimating the President's Secretariat. 
• 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,"it says,adding that the duration of such visits cannot exceed 73 days or 20% of the days in a calendar year.
• "The Governor shall invariably obtain clearance under the Foreign contribution Regulation Act and political clearance before undertaking any foreign visit,"says notification 
• Also the Governors have to seek exceptional circumstances. Communications pertaining to private visits abroad have to be made at least six weeks in advance.
• Except under extraordinary circumstances,the Governors cannot undertake any outstation visit without prior approval.
• In case of visits due to extraordinary circumstances,the Governors have to intimate the President's Secretariat as soon as the programme is finalised, providing details of the compelling reasons it was not possible to obtain permission. Once the schedule for the visit is approved ,it cannot ordinarily be revised

Sania creates history is first from India to seal top world ranking 

• Sania Mirza will become the first Indian woman to claim the number one double ranking after winning the Charleston title with partner Martina Hingis.
• Sania and Martina captured their third double title in as many tournaments,after triumphs in the Indian Wells and Miami hardcourt events.
• on Sunday, they defeated Casey Dellacqua and Darija Jurak 6-0,6-4 to lift the trophy.
• Sania becomes the first Indian woman to reach number one in either singles or doubles. She has won seven WTA doubles titles over the last 12 months.

Modi -Markel meet to focus on Trade and Technology 

• The Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived Hannover on April 12,tweeted,"Hallo Germany! Reached Hannovar a short while ago,"
• Mr. Modi was accompanied by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
• During his stay,Mr.Modi will meet German Chancellor Angela Markel. Business and technology is the focus of the Prime Minister's first trip to Germany.
• He will visit the Hannover Fair where India is a partner country this year. About 400 Indian companies are participating in the fair which will see the presence of up to 120 Indian CEOs besides about 3,000 German delegates.
• Mr. Modi and Ms Merkel will inaugurate the 'India Pavilion' of the Fair and address an Indo-German business summit. The two leaders will have detailed talks in Berlin focusing on how Germany can work with India in its developmental agenda.
• The two leaders will address the Hannover Fair Business Summit, which focuses on the possibilities for promoting trade and industrial cooperation between India and Germany.
• Germany is India’s largest trading partner in the EU and one of the top 10 global trading partners.
• The overall exchange of goods and services between the two countries was valued at around around €15.96 billion last year, a drop of €1.14 billion from the level of €16.10 billion registered in 2013.
• While India’s exports to Germany rose marginally to € 7.03 billion in 2014, its German imports dropped to €8.92 billion from €9.19 billion in the previous year, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
• Germany is the 8th largest foreign investor in India. Its foreign direct investments in India during January-November 2014 was valued at around $ 995.7 million.
• More than 1,600 Indo-German collaborations and around 600 Indo-German joint ventures are currently in operation.