Prelims-Pinpointer-for-22-NOV-2025

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Public Accounts Committee (PAC)

Context: Public Accounts Committee headed by K.C. Venugopal questioned FSSAI over adulterated food sales, particularly festive sweets, and CAG-highlighted manpower shortage within regulatory authority.

Public Accounts Committee (PAC)

• Overview

• • The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is the oldest parliamentary committee, established in 1921 under British rule.
  • It ensures financial accountability by scrutinising how the Government of India uses public money.

• Composition

• • Total 22 members:
    • 15 from Lok Sabha
    • 7 from Rajya Sabha
  • Chairperson: A Lok Sabha MP, conventionally from the Opposition.
  • Tenure: Members serve for one year.
  • Ministers are barred from being PAC members to maintain independence.

• Mandate and Purpose

• • Ensures that public funds are spent legally, efficiently, and as approved by Parliament.
  • Functions as a financial watchdog, promoting transparency and accountability in public spending.

• Key Functions

• • Examines CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) audit reports related to government expenditure.
  • Checks whether the money granted by Parliament has been used for the intended purpose.
  • Investigates wasteful expenditure, losses, irregularities, and cases of financial mismanagement.
  • Reviews accounts of autonomous bodies, public undertakings, and schemes wherever CAG audits are applicable.
  • Recommends corrective measures to improve government financial administration.

• Significance

• • Strengthens Parliamentary oversight over the Executive.
  • Enhances fiscal discipline and administrative accountability.
  • Plays a crucial role in preventing corruption, leakages, and inefficient use of public resources.
  • Contributes to improving governance by ensuring that government expenditure aligns with constitutional and parliamentary mandates.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)

About

• • The NHRC ensures protection of rights relating to life, liberty, equality, and dignity of individuals.
  • These rights are guaranteed by the Indian Constitution and international covenants enforceable by Indian courts.

• Establishment

• • Established on 12th October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993.
  • Amended by the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Acts of 2006 and 2019.
  • Set up in conformity with the Paris Principles, aimed at promoting and protecting human rights.

Composition

• The Commission comprises a Chairperson, five full-time Members, and seven deemed Members.
• The Chairperson is a former Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge.

Appointment and Tenure

• The President appoints the Chairperson and Members on recommendations of a six-member committee.
• The committee includes the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, Opposition Leaders of both Houses, and the Union Home Minister.
• Members hold office for three years or until they attain the age of 70 years.

Role and Functions

• The NHRC possesses civil court powers in judicial proceedings.
• It can utilize services of central or state officials for investigations.
• The Commission can investigate cases within one year of occurrence.
• Its recommendations are advisory and not legally binding.

Shortcomings

• Recommendations are non-binding, limiting legal enforcement of its findings.
• No punitive power to punish offenders or award relief to victims.
• Restricted jurisdiction over cases involving armed forces personnel.
• Cannot consider human rights violations older than one year.
• Faces resource and staff shortages; several state commissions lack full leadership.
• Dependence on government appointments affects institutional independence.
• Reactive functioning reduces impact in preventing violations.

Measures to Strengthen NHRC

• Broaden mandate to address new issues like AI, Deepfakes, and Climate Change.
• Grant enforcement powers to ensure compliance and accountability.
• Diversify composition by including civil society experts and activists.
• Create an independent cadre with human rights expertise.
• Strengthen state commissions through collaboration and capacity building.
• Promote advocacy, awareness, and education for citizen empowerment.
• Enhance international cooperation to adopt best global practices.

 

Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

Context: RBI, NPCI International, European Central Bank agreed to start UPI-TIPS link realization phase, connecting India’s UPI with Eurosystem’s instant payment system for cross-border remittances.

More in News:

• UPI-TIPS link will connect Unified Payments Interface with TARGET Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS), the instant payment system operated by Eurosystem for European nations.
• Cross-border remittances between India and Euro Area will be facilitated, benefiting users of both jurisdictions through seamless instant payment integration and reduced transaction costs.
• RBI, NPCI International Payments Ltd., European Central Bank collaboration aims to enhance international payment connectivity, promoting efficient financial transactions between Indian and European economies significantly.

About UPI

• • Unified Payments Interface (UPI) integrates multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application, enabling seamless digital payments.
  • Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016 over the IMPS platform.
  • UPI is the world’s most successful real-time payment system, offering secure P2P and P2M transactions.
  • It provides simplicity, safety, and interoperability, becoming the backbone of India’s digital payment ecosystem.

• Key Features of UPI

• • Single interface for accessing multiple bank accounts.
  • Instant fund transfer, available 24×7, including bank holidays.
  • Two-factor authentication and virtual payment addresses (VPAs) ensure secure transactions.
  • Facilitates seamless payments for bill settlement, merchant transactions, e-commerce, and peer transfers.
  • Eliminates the need for entering bank details, enhancing user convenience.

Benefits of UPI

• For Merchants

• • Low acceptance cost, reducing dependence on card-based systems.
  • Accepts payments without credit/debit cards.
  • Eliminates handling of cash change and associated risks.
  • Works for physical and online merchants.
  • Enhances customer access and payment flexibility.

• For Customers

• • Round-the-clock availability for all transactions.
  • Single app access to accounts across banks.
  • Supports multiple use cases, from small-value payments to bill settlement.
  • Enables raising complaints directly through mobile apps.
  • Offers high convenience and ease of use.

• For Banks

• • Reduces branch and PoS investments.
  • Low cost of merchant onboarding.
  • Generates transaction data enabling targeted services and cross-selling.

About NPCI

• NPCI is the umbrella organisation for retail payments in India.
• Established by RBI and IBA under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
• Incorporated as a Section 8 (Not-for-Profit) company.
• Key products: RuPay, IMPS, UPI, BHIM, BHIM Aadhaar, Bharat BillPay.

Chabahar Port

Context: Afghan Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi urged expanded Chabahar port use, requesting Indian government support for functional trade route and private sector investments to ensure port’s success.

More in News:

• Chabahar port emerging as imperative for landlocked Afghanistan to circumvent routes through Pakistan following recent tensions between two nations in past months.
• Minister called upon Indian private sector to invest in Afghanistan; government considering five-year tax exemption for new industries, offering preferential tariffs for raw materials and machinery.
• Afghan government open to negotiations with United States to ensure continued Chabahar port operationality, maintaining critical trade route for Afghanistan’s international commerce and connectivity.
• Air freight corridor will significantly enhance air connectivity and strengthen commercial flights between India and Afghanistan, improving bilateral trade and economic ties between both nations.

About Chabahar Port

• Chabahar is a deep-water port in Iran’s Sistan–Baluchistan province along the Gulf of Oman.
• It is located at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global trade route.
• It is Iran’s only port with direct access to the Indian Ocean.
• The port comprises two terminals: Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari.
• Its proximity to India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan enhances regional connectivity potential.
• Chabahar is linked to the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC), connecting the Indian Ocean to Europe through Iran and Russia.
• Distance to Kandla Port is 550 nautical miles; to Mumbai, 786 nautical miles.

Chabahar Project

• In May 2016, India signed a tripartite agreement with Iran and Afghanistan.
• The agreement focuses on developing the Shahid Beheshti Terminal as India’s first overseas port project.
• It aims to create an international transport and transit corridor through Chabahar.
• The project includes development of the port and a rail line from Chabahar to Zahedan.
• The corridor enables India to bypass Pakistan to reach Afghanistan and Central Asia.
• The port strengthens India’s strategic presence in the region and supports access to resource-rich Central Asia.
• It also provides an alternative to routes dominated by China, including sections of the traditional Silk Road.

Strategic Importance

• Chabahar enhances India’s connectivity, trade, and geopolitical influence in West and Central Asia.
• It facilitates transit trade among India, Iran, and Afghanistan.
• The port reduces India’s dependence on routes passing through potentially hostile territories.
• Its integration with INSTC positions it as a major regional commercial hub.
• It supports India’s strategic balancing against China’s presence at Gwadar Port in Pakistan.

Coastal Security Exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’

Context

• The biannual coastal security drill ‘Sagar Kavach’ has begun in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore and Villupuram districts.
• The exercise tests multi-agency preparedness against seaborne threats along India’s coastline.

What is ‘Sagar Kavach’?

• ‘Sagar Kavach’ is a large-scale multi-agency coastal security exercise held twice annually across India’s coastal states and island territories.
• Led by the Indian Coast Guard, it aims to assess real-time readiness against threats emerging from the sea.

Aim

• To evaluate and validate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for coastal defence.
• To test readiness against intrusion attempts, smuggling, sabotage, and terrorist infiltration.
• To strengthen inter-agency coordination and plug security gaps along the coast.

Key Features

• Biannual exercise covering entire coastal belts, including sensitive areas and high-value assets.
• Conducts realistic threat scenarios, using:
  • Dummy intruders (Red Force teams)
  • Simulated infiltration attempts
  • Sabotage and smuggling trials
• Involves sea patrols, harbour checks, vessel boarding, shoreline surveillance, and monitoring of critical infrastructure.
• Trains coastal police in interception, interrogation, intelligence gathering, and patrolling.
• Includes maritime, air, and land-based coordination, integrating communication networks across agencies.

Agencies Involved

• Indian Coast Guard (lead agency)
• Navy, Coastal Police, Marine Police, CISF, BSF (Water Wing)
• Customs, Port Authorities, Intelligence Agencies
• Fisheries and District Administration

Importance

• Enhances maritime domain awareness.
• Strengthens India’s post-26/11 coastal security architecture.
• Ensures seamless coordination across multiple agencies operating in coastal zones.
• Helps identify operational gaps and improve rapid-response capability.