Press Information Bureau (PIB Analysis For UPSC)

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SIT on ex CBI Director

The Supreme Court directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by it to probe allegations against former CBI Director Ranjit Sinha in coal scam cases, to submit a status report before it.
A three-judge bench headed by Justice M B Lokur asked the SIT to file before it the status report with regard to the investigation conducted by it in the matter in a sealed cover within four weeks.
During the hearing, senior advocate R S Cheema, who has been appointed as the special public prosecutor in coal scam cases by the apex court, told the bench that eight CBI cases related to the scam were pending for consideration before the highest authority of the agency.
The top court directed the CBI director to finalise the eight pending cases on or before 15th of January next year.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has evolved with changing nature of the country’s economy.
Speaking at a function to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of DRI in New Delhi, Mr Jaitley complimented the organisation for investigation success rate.
He said, it is important for institution like DRI to continue to upgrade its skills.
With every generation, a new category of officers usually gets invented. And its extremely important that officers of an agency like the DRI keep upgrading their skills, their knowledge and their priority areas are known to them, so that detections in those areas itself could take place and it is here that we also have to use your discretion as economic investigator very efficiently.

The first meeting of the newly constituted 15th Finance Commission is currently underway in New Delhi.
The government had constituted the Finance Commission last month and appointed former Secretary and ex Member of Parliament N K Singh as its chairman.
It will make recommendations for the five years commencing 1st April 2020.
The commission will use the population data of 2011 while making its recommendations.
The commission has to submit its report by 30th of October, 2019.

Cyclone Ockhi is now moving towards the coast of Gujarat and is 810 kilometres south-southwest of Surat.
MeT department has issued a very severe cyclonic storm warning and advised fishermen to not venture into the sea.
Sea condition would be rough to very rough along and off north Maharashtra and South Gujarat coasts from tonight to Wednesday morning due to cyclone Ockhi.
The very severe cyclonic storm now lay centred over east central Arabian Sea, about 590 kilometre southwest of Mumbai.
In view of alert for Gujarat and Maharashtra, six NDRF teams have been mobilized and pre-positioned at Surat, Navsari and Rajkot. NDRF unit at Pune is on stand by mode for prompt response. Remaining NDRF teams are kept on high alert to deal with any eventuality.
The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha has reviewed rescue and relief operations being carried out in high seas and coastal areas hit by cyclone Ockhi.
The Home Ministry today said additional help will be provided if necessary.
A tropical cyclone is the generic term

Tropical cyclones with maximum sustained surface winds of less than 39 mph are usually called “tropical depressions”
Once the tropical cyclone reaches winds of at least 39 mph they are typically called a “tropical storm“ and are assigned a name.
“hurricane” (the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific Ocean east of 160E)
“typhoon” (the Northwest Pacific Ocean west of the dateline)
“severe tropical cyclone” or “Category 3 cyclone” and above (the Southwest Pacific Ocean west of 160°E or Southeast Indian Ocean east of 90°E)
“very severe cyclonic storm” (the North Indian Ocean)
“tropical cyclone” (the Southwest Indian Ocean)