Daily Current Affairs | March 25 2025

1) National e-Vidhan Application(NEVA)

• Delhi Legislative Assembly has taken a significant step towards digital governance by signing an MoU between the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and the Government of Delhi for the implementation of the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA).

• Delhi has become the 28th legislature to join the National e-Vidhan Application platform.

About NEVA

• This platform digitises House business, providing real-time access to documents, and enabling seamless coordination among legislators and secretariat staff.

• Aim - Bring greater efficiency, accessibility, and sustainability to legislative process, by making entire process ‘paperless’.

• Created by Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs under “One Nation, One Application” vision.

Key Features of NEVA

• Device-Neutral Access: Accessible across smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops for seamless use anytime.

• Paperless Legislature: Promotes eco-friendly governance by significantly reducing paper usage, supporting Swachh Bharat and SDG goals.

• Real-Time Digital Repository: Provides instant access to legislative documents, including bills, agendas, notices, and reports with multilingual support.

• Secure Cloud Infrastructure: Hosted on Meghraj 2.0 ensuring robust security, data integrity, and confidentiality.

• mNeVA Mobile App & Capacity Building: User-friendly mobile app with continuous training, manuals, and video tutorials for easy adoption by legislators.

2) BAANKNET & eBKray Platform

• In order to boost the sale value realised through bank e-auction, Public Sector Banks(PSBs) were requested by Department of Financial Services to redesign their e-auction platform.

• The platform “e-BKray” was launched on 28th February, 2019.

• In order to further streamline the listing and auctioning of assets of Banks, a revamped e-auction portal named “BAANKNET” was launched on 3rd January, 2025.

About BAANKNET

• Specifically designed to enhance transparency and speed up the process of disposing of Non-Performing Asset (NPA) cases.

• By leveraging state-of-the-art technology & automated KYC tools, secure payment gateways, and bank-verified property titles, the platform ensures a high level of transparency throughout the property auction process.

• All 12 PSBs, and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) are using the platform.

About Department of Financial Services

• The Department of Financial Services (DFS), a key body under the Ministry of Finance, focuses on regulating and promoting various financial services, including banking, insurance, and pension reforms, with a focus on financial inclusion and stability.

• Key Responsibilities and Functions : Financial Inclusion; Banking Sector Regulation; Insurance & Pension Sector Regulation; Financial Stability; Financial Literacy; Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana etc.

• Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) and Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB); operate under this department.

3) Equalisation Levy

• The government on Monday proposed to abolish the Equalisation Levy or digital tax on online advertisements from April 1 2025.

• These changes are part of the 59 amendments to the Finance Bill.

• This will reduce the tax burden on digital ad consumers and costs on platforms like Google, X and Meta.

About this Levy

• A tax imposed on non-resident digital service providers for services related to online advertisements and e-commerce transactions targeting Indian users.

• Purpose - To 'equalise' the tax component of a resident e-commerce company as well as a non-resident e-commerce company.

• 2 Types of Equalisation Levy :

  • Online Ad Service - Introduced by Finance Act 2016, at rate of 6%.

  • E-Commerce - Introduced by Finance Act 2020, at 2%.

Key Features

• Applicable on :

  • Payments to non-residents for online advertisements or digital ad space.

  • E-commerce supply of goods or services targeting Indian Residents.

• Entities Exempt from Equalisation Levy :

  • If the non-resident has a permanent establishment in India.

  • Transactions below : ₹1 lakh for online advertisement services and ₹2 crore for e-commerce transactions.

  • Personal use transactions, not related to business.

4) Issue of Judicial Accountability

• Allegations of discovery of “sacks” of half-burnt currency notes from the official premises of a Delhi High Court judge, has brought the issue of Judicial Accountability at the forefront.

• Judicial Accountability - It is the principle that judges must be answerable for their conduct and decisions, ensuring they act within framework of the law and uphold the principles of justice.

• Purpose - It's a fundamental requirement of any democratic system, as it ensures that the judiciary remains transparent, responsible, and free from undue influence.

Existing Provisions

• Impeachment of Judges : Article 124(4)[for Supreme Court Judges] and Article 218[for High Court Judges] provide for removal of judges on grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity.

• Judges(Inquiry) Act 1968 provides procedure for impeachment of Judges.

• Articles 227 & 235 allow High Courts to supervise subordinate courts.

• Internal inquiry procedures established by Higher Judiciary.

Challenges to Judicial Accountability

• Complex Impeachment Process : The current impeachment process, outlined in the Indian Constitution, is cumbersome and requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament to remove a judge for "proved misbehaviour or incapacity".

• Lack of robust external mechanisms to monitor judicial behaviour and ensure accountability.

• Threat to Judicial Independence : Excessive accountability measures may be perceived as a threat to judicial independence, which is crucial for a fair and impartial justice.

• Lack of Transparency : The judiciary operates with a high degree of opacity, particularly in the appointment and transfer of judges through the collegium system.

• Other Challenges : Fear of Contempt of Court; Delays in Proceedings of Judicial Misconduct; Resignations by Judges to Avoid Proceedings; etc.

5) Unified Pension Scheme (UPS)

• PFRDA has issued a gazette notification, introducing comprehensive guidelines for implementing the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS).

• Starting April 1, 2025, this scheme will be available as an alternative for central government employees currently enrolled in the National Pension Scheme (NPS).

UPS: Key Features

• UPS is contributory scheme where employees will be required to contribute 10% of their basic salary and dearness allowance while the employer's contribution will be 18.5%.

• UPS will offer 50% of the average basic pay drawn by a Central government employee during the 12 months prior to retirement, provided they complete 25 years of service.

• Employees with less than 25 years of service but more than 10 years will receive a pension on a proportionate basis.

Other Facts about UPS

• UPS provides a guaranteed payout to employees upon superannuation.

• A minimum payout of Rs 10,000 per month is assured for employees with 10 or more years of qualifying service.

• For those who choose to retire voluntarily after 25 years of service, the payout will begin from the date they would have reached superannuation if they had continued working.

• In the event of the payout holder's death after superannuation, a family payout at 60% of the payout admissible to the holder will be given to the legally wedded spouse.