Current Affairs 02 April 2019 Digest 2: SC upholds HC Judgment on pension; Estonia tops in online voting

Story 1: Supreme Court upholds HC Judgment for higher pension

Supreme Court has dismissed the Special Leave Petition (SLP) on April 1, 2019, filed against a Kerala High Court Judgment setting aside Employee's Pension (Amendment) Scheme, 2014.  Judgement was given by a bench comprising CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjiv Khanna.

Earlier Kerala High Court had asked Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to give pension to all employees on the basis of their full salary rather than capping the figure on which contribution is calculated at a maximum of Rs 15,000 per month.

What is the case?

• EPFO amended the act on September 1, 2014 to increase the contribution to 8.33% of a maximum of Rs 15,000. The amendment reduced the pension of many employees.
• Kerala high court set aside the September 1, 2014 amendment and reinstated the old system of calculating the pensionable salary as the average of the last one year's monthly salary.
• In October 2016, the Supreme Court directed the EPFO to accept the requests of employees to contribute to the pension scheme on the basis of full salary, with back date, and give pension on full salary.
• Despite Supreme Court’s judgement EPFO refused to accept contributions, stated EPFs are managed by trusts, while they were ready to contribute the due amount.

How does it calculated?

• In present system Rs. 1250 (8.33%) is contributed of Rs. 15,000. At present system EPFO has fixed Rs. 15,000 as maximum salary for pension. However, 8.33% of actual salary was proposed.
• Since the employer contributes 8.33% of this salary in the employee’s EPS account, the amount deposited in the EPS account of the employee every month is Rs. 15000 x 8.33/100 = Rs. 1250.

Story 2: Estonia tops in E-voting with 44% of online votes

Estonia has emerged as a global leader in online voting with 44% of votes in the recently concluded parliamentary elections in the country. Centre-Right Reform Party emerged victorious with 40% of the e-votes and nearly 30% of the total votes.

A large number (25%) of e-votes were cast by people over the age of 55, while 20% were cast by people aged between 45 to 54 years. With total 1.3 million of population, 5,61,131 were the total voters while 2,47,232 people preferred for online voting.

How does it work?

•    Votes can cast their vote online any time in the seven days before election Day. Online voting is not allowed on Election Day.

•    It requires internet connection on computer or mobile.

•    Before going for a final move voters need to download voting application form.

•    Then voters need to verify their voter IDs so the voter’s eligibility and registration can be verified.

•     Voters must then fill out a digital ballot, sign and submit.

•    Before sending it to election servers each vote gets encrypted.

•    This server gives facility for changing of choices before Election Day.

·         Votes can cast their vote online any time in the seven days before election Day. Online voting is not allowed on Election Day.

·         It requires internet connection on computer or mobile.

·         Before going for a final move voters need to download voting application form.

·         Then voters need to verify their voter IDs so the voter’s eligibility and registration can be verified.

·          Voters must then fill out a digital ballot, sign and submit.

·         Before sending it to election servers each vote gets encrypted.

·         This server gives facility for changing of choices before Election Day.