PERIYAR IAS CURRENT AFFAIRS 31-OCTOBER-2017
1. Centre gets SC to freeze hearing on Article 35A
The Centre convinced the Supreme Court to defer hearing on
petitions challenging the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir.
Context:
The court is hearing a writ petition filed by NGO, We
the Citizens, which challenges the validity of both Article 35A and
Article 370.
Reason:
§ The government has appointed Dineshwar Sharma, a former IB
director, as interlocutor.
§ He has started talks with stakeholders. If the court hears this
case, it will affect dialogue process.
Article 35A
§ It is a provision incorporated in the Indian Constitution giving
the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature to decide ‘permanent residents’ of the
State.
§ Grant those permanent resident special right and privileges in
State public sector jobs, acquisition of property within the State,
scholarships and other public aid and welfare programmes.
What is the issue with Article 35A?
§ Article 35A was incorporated into the Indian Constitution in 1954
by an order of President.
§ The provision mandates that no act of the State legislature coming
under the ambit of Article 35A can be challenged for violating the Indian
Constitution or any other law of the land.
§ The Presidential Order was issued under Article 370 (1) (d) of the
Indian Constitution to add Article 35A.
§ Parliament was not consulted when the President incorporated
Article 35A into the Indian
Constitution through a Presidential Order issued under Article 370.
§ Whereas, Article 368 (i) of the Constitution mandates that only
the Parliament can amend the Constitution by introducing a new Article.
Source: Hindu
Backgound:
A nine-judge bench unanimously ruled that right to privacy was a
fundamental right and formed an intrinsic part of right to life guaranteed
under Article 21.
Key Facts:
§ Several petitioners challenging the validity of Aadhaar had raised
the issue that the scheme violates privacy rights.
§ The court issued notice to the Centre on a separate plea filed by
an individual challenging the linking of mobile phone numbers with Aadhaar for
availing the benefits of social welfare schemes.
§ The Supreme Court decided to constitute a five-judge Constitution
Bench to hear petitions from November against the validity of the Aadhaar
scheme.
Source: Hindu
3. China to block UN bid to ban Azhar
Citing a lack of consensus, China said that it is once again not
designating Masood Azhar, head of the Pakistan-based militant group
Jaish-e-Mohammad, as an international terrorist.
China raised the technical hold to allow for more time for all
parties to deliberate on this matter.
Context:
The Chinese position came ahead of Thursday’s meeting of the 1267
committee of the U.N. Security Council, where the status of Azhar would be
discussed.
UNSC 1267 Committee:
§ The UNSC 1267 Committee was established pursuant to resolution
1267 (1999). It is also known as the AlQaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee.
§ It was established for the purpose of overseeing the
implementation of sanctions measures imposed on Taliban-controlled Afghanistan
for its support of Osama bin Laden.
§ However in course of time, the 1267 sanctions regime has been
modified and strengthened by subsequent resolutions.
§ If an individual or terrorist organisation is included in this
list, it helps in restricting their movement, financial penalties and assets
freeze among others.
§ The Committee comprises all 15 members of the UNSC and makes its
decision by consensus and secretly. If single member opposes it there is no
consensus.
§ That’s why China opposition to India’s bid is not allowing UNSC to
designate Masood Azhar as an international terrorist and freeze his assets and
travel ban.
§ The committee is being criticised for being non transparent and in
recent time there is demand for its reforms to address procedural shortcomings
especially from India.
Source: Hindu
In a major initiative, the district administration has readied a
plan to introduce multi-grain meals in 64 tribal welfare residential
educational institutions across the Khammam district of Telangana state.
Aim
§ The targeted intervention aims at raising the nutritional status
of students in the tribal areas.
Significance:
§ It gains significance in the backdrop of prevalence of
malnutrition particularly anaemia and other deficiencies among
children in remote tribal pockets due to poor economic status of their
families.
About Program:
§ The nutrition intervention envisages introduction of millet-based
snacks in the menu of as many as 46 Ashram High Schools and 18 Tribal Welfare
hostels spread in 23 mandals of the district.
§ The multi-grain meal containing sorghum and finger millet
(ragi) as ingredients will replace the upma served as breakfast in the tribal
welfare educational institutions.
§ Fibre-dense millet-based snacks fortified with micro-nutrients
will be served as evening snacks as per the new intervention.
§ District administration to harness ICRISAT project.
ICRISAT:
§ The International Crops Research Institute for the
Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is an international organization
which conducts agricultural research for rural development, headquartered
in Patancheru, Hyderabad.
§ Its charter was signed by the FAOand the UNDP.
§ The original goal was to use crop improvement research as the
basis to improve food availability in drought-prone areas of the tropics.
§ ICRISAT performs crop improvement research, using conventional as
well as methods derived from biotechnology, on the following
crops: Chickpea, Pigeonpea, Groundnut, Pearl millet, Sorghum, Finger
Millet and Small millets.
Source: Hindu
5.
Xi crowned as ‘linxiu’
China’s ruling Communist Party has dusted off a Mao-era honorific
for President Xi Jinping, cementing his status as the most powerful ruler.
What is linxiu?
The term, a honorific for a leader, was once used for Mao
§ The term “lingxiu” has not been used since the time of Mao’s
successor Hua Guofeng.
§ But it has begun to pop up again in state media and in government
meetings.
Source: Hindu
Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere surged at a
record-breaking speed in 2016. Globally averaged concentrations of CO2 reached
403.3 parts per million in 2016, up from 400.00 ppm in 2015.
The last time Earth experienced similar CO2 concentration rates
was three to five million years ago, when the sea level was up to 20 metres (66
feet) higher than now.
Causes:
A combination of human activities and a strong El Nino event – as
per World Meteorological Organization.
Need of the hour
§ Drastic action is needed to achieve targets set by the Paris
climate agreement
§ Rapid cuts in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions.
Issue
with Paris climate agreement
§ The historic agreement approved by 196 countries two years ago is
facing renewed pressure following U.S. President’s decision to quit the accord.
§ But nations are set to press on with the task of implementing it
at climate talks in Bonn next week.
Source: Hindu
7. The Government of India and World Bank sign $200 Million Loan
Agreement for the Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project.
Utility:
§ The Project will support the Government of Assam to facilitate
agri-business investments
§ Increase agriculture productivity and market access
§ Enable small farm holders produce crops that are resilient to
recurrent floods or droughts in the state.
§ Fulfils the State’s vision of an agriculture-based rural
transformation.
Use of geographic clustering of the production base:
§ The focus on geographic clustering of the production base for
certain commodities will help agro-enterprises take advantage of existing and
future market opportunities that they may not necessarily achieve alone.
§ The cluster approach will allow for combining efforts, making use
of synergies, and pooling resources to increase the competitive advantage of
these products, while at the same time share the risks involved in introducing
improved products or entering previously untapped markets.
§ Successful clusters will also continuously innovate and adapt
‘best practices’ across agricultural value chains
IBRD:
§ The International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD) is an international financial institutionthat
offers loans to middle-income developing countries.
§ The IBRD is the first of five member institutions that compose
the World Bank Group.
§ It was established in 1944 with the mission of financing the
reconstruction of European nations devastated by World War II.
§ The IBRD provides commercial-grade or concessional financing
to sovereign statesto fund projects that seek to improve transportation
and infrastructure, education, domestic policy, environmental
consciousness, energy investments, healthcare, access to food and potable
water, and access to improved sanitation.
Source: PIB
8.
MHA gives a boost to “Make in India” in the
field of manufacturing of arms
The Ministry of Home Affairs has liberalised the Arms Rules to
boost “Make in India” manufacturing policy of the Government as also to promote
employment generation in the field of manufacturing of arms and ammunition.
The salient features of the liberalised rules are:
§ The licence granted for manufacturing shall now be valid for the
life-time of the licensee company. The requirement of renewal of the license
after every 5 years has been done away with.
§ Condition that the small arms and light weapons produced by
manufacturer shall be sold to the Central Government or the State Governments
with the prior approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs has been done away
with.
§ Enhancement of capacity up to 15% of the quantity approved under
licence will not require any further approval by the Government. The
manufacturer will be required to give only prior intimation to the licensing
authority in this regard.
§ The licence fee has been reduced significantly. The licence fee
will now range from Rs. 5,000/- to the maximum of Rs. 50,000/-.
§ The fee for manufacturing licence shall be payable at the time of
grant of license rather than at the time of application.
§ Single manufacturing licence will be allowed for a multi-unit
facility within the same State or in different States within the country.
Significance:
§ Will encourage investment in the manufacturing of arms and
ammunition and weapon systems as part of the “Make in India” programme.
§ Encourage the manufacturing activity and facilitate availability
of world class weapons to meet the requirement of Armed Forces and Police
Forces in sync with country’s defence indigenization programme.
To whom rules will apply
§ The liberalised rules will apply to licences granted by MHA
for small arms & ammunition
§ Licences granted by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
(DIPP), under powers delegated to them, for tanks and other armoured
fighting vehicles, defence aircrafts, space crafts, warships of all kinds, arms
and ammunition and allied items of defence equipment other than small arms.
Source: PIB
9.
MSME Delayed Payment Portal – MSME
Samadhaan
Delayed Payment Portal – MSME Samadhaan was
lanched for empowering micro and small entrepreneurs across the country to
directly register their cases relating to delayed payments by Central
Ministries/Departments/CPSEs/State Governments.
Utility
§ The portal will greatly facilitate the monitoring of the delayed
payment in a more effective manner.
§ The information on the portal will be available in public
domain, thus exerting moral pressure on the defaulting organisations.
§ The MSEs will also be empowered to access the portal and monitor
their cases.
Background:
§ The Portal will give information about the pending payment of MSEs
with individual CPSEs / Central Ministries, State Governments, etc.
§ The CEO of PSEs and the Secretary of the Ministries concerned will
also be able to monitor the cases of delayed payment and issue necessary
instructions to resolve the issues.
The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development (MSMED) Act,
2006 contains provisions to deal with cases of delayed payment to Micro and
Small Enterprises (MSEs).
Source: PIB
10.
PM flags off “Run For Unity”
The Prime Minister later flagged off the “Run For Unity” from
Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
§ The Prime Minister recalled the contributions of Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel, especially in uniting the nation.
§ The Prime Minister said India is proud of its diversity, and
occasions such as “Run For Unity” offer us an opportunity to reinforce that
sense of pride and oneness.
Source: PIB
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced that
India will host next Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of
Wild Animals (CMS) Conference of Parties 13 (CMS COP13) in year 2020.
CMS COP is also known as a Global Wildlife
Conference.
Key Facts
§ An announcement in this regard was made on the last day of the
week-long 12th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on
the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals or CMS COP12, the only
international treaty devoted exclusively to migratory animal species held in
Philippines.
Outcomes of last summit (COP12)
§ Governments agreed to cooperate on reducing the negative impacts
of marine debris, noise pollution, renewable energy and climate change on
migratory species.
§ A vulture multi-species action plan to better protect 15 species
of Old World Vulture in more than 120 countries, comprising four that are
critically endangered in
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild
Animals (CMS)
§ CMS is an international treaty concluded under aegis of United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), concerned with conservation of wildlife
and habitats on a global scale.
§ It is commonly abbreviated as Convention on Migratory
Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention.
§ CMS aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory
species throughout their range.
Source: Hindu
China plans to build a $1 billion super-sized DNA sequencing
platform in the Jiangsu Province.
Aim:
Store genetic information of millions of its ethnic Chinese
population
Use:
§ Researchers will use big data created in the database to study
genetic mutations related to major diseases,
§ look for the impact of interaction between genes and environmental
concerns on human heath,
§ Provide statistical support for diagnosis and treatment of major
diseases
Source: Hindu
Prelims:
1. Polavaram Project
Polavaram Project is a multi-purpose irrigation project
which has been accorded national project statusby the union
government. This dam across the Godavari River is under
construction located in West Godavari District and East Godavari
District in Andhra Pradesh state and its
reservoir spreads in parts
of Chhattisgarh and Odisha States also.
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