Office of profit: EC wants 20 AAP MLAs disqualified

WHY ON NEWS NOW ? Recently the Election Commission (EC) recommended to President Ram Nath Kovind that 20 of its MLAs be disqualified for holding offices of profit. The Commission’s counsel is binding on the President.

THE BACKGROUND :

 The office-of-profit controversy was triggered after 21 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs were appointed Parliamentary Secretaries in March 2015. The

 Delhi government then introduced an amendment to the Delhi Members of Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualification) Act, exempting the post from the definition of “office-of-profit.”

 President Pranab Mukherjee had rejected the amendment in June 2015.

 The same month, advocate Prashant Patel petitioned the President seeking their disqualification on office-of-profit charge. The petition was referred to the EC.

EFFECT : The AAP currently holds 65 of the 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly and the disqualifications will not pose a threat to its government.

POSSIBLE QUESTION Prelims polity + UPSC Law Optional Mains – Question from provisions of office of profit Art : 102, 103,191 and related areas.

JUST GIVE A READ :

Bellandur lake ablaze yet again

THE NEWS : The severely-polluted Bellandur lake caught fire again .

EXPECTED QUESTION / QUESTION RELATED : PRELIMS : Which of the sentences are true 1. Bellandur Lake is a lake in the suburb of Bellandur in the southeast of the city of Bangalore and is the largest lake in the city. 2. It is a part of Bellandur drainage system that drains the southern and the south-eastern parts of the city. 3. The lake is a receptor from three chains of lakes upstream, and has a catchment area of about 148 square kilometres (37,000 acres). 4. Water from this lake flows further west to the Varthur Lake, from where it flows down the plateau and eventually into the Pinakani river basin. Answers : a) 1 only b) 1 and 2 only c) 1,2 and 3 only d) All of the above

FACTS TO READ  Bellandur Lake is a lake in the suburb of Bellandur in the southeast of the city of Bangalore and is the largest lake in the city.  It is a part of Bellandur drainage system that drains the southern and the south-eastern parts of the city.  The lake is a receptor from three chains of lakes upstream, and has a catchment area of about 148 square kilometres (37,000 acres).  Water from this lake flows further east to the Varthur Lake, from where it flows down the plateau and eventually into the Pinakani river basin.  It is currently highly polluted with sewage, and in May 2015 the foam covering the water surface caught fire and burned for hours.  Bellandur Lake is believed to be originally a tributary of the Dakshina Pinakini river (also known as the Ponnaiyar River). The lake itself was constructed during the reign of the Western Ganga Dynasty who ruled between the 4-5th century to 10th century CE.