Current Affairs nov 18

Article 32

• Recently, a Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice of India observed that it is “trying to discourage” individuals from filing petitions under Article 32 of the Constitution.
• The observation came during the hearing of a petition seeking the release of journalist Siddique Kappan, who was arrested with three others while on their way to Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, to report on an alleged gangrape and murder.

What is Article 32?

• It is one of the fundamental rights listed in the Constitution that each citizen is entitled.
• Article 32 deals with the ‘Right to Constitutional Remedies’, or affirms the right to move the Supreme Court by appropriate proceedings for the enforcement of the rights conferred in Part III of the Constitution.
• It states that the Supreme Court “shall have power to issue directions or orders or writs, including writs in the nature of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari, whichever may be appropriate, for the enforcement of any of the rights conferred by this Part”.
• The right guaranteed by this Article “shall not be suspended except as otherwise provided for by this Constitution”.
• The Article is included in Part III of the Constitution with other fundamental rights including to Equality, Freedom of Speech and Expression, Life and Personal Liberty, and Freedom of Religion.
• Only if any of these fundamental rights is violated can a person can approach the Supreme Court directly under Article 32.
• Dr B R Ambedkar said about this article as the very soul of the Constitution and the very heart of it.
• The Constituent Assembly debated whether fundamental rights including this one could be suspended or limited during an Emergency. The Article cannot be suspended except during the period of Emergency.

Can High Courts be approached in cases of violation of fundamental rights?

• Both the High Courts and the Supreme Court can be approached for violation or enactment of fundamental rights through five kinds of writs:
• Habeas corpus (related to personal liberty in cases of illegal detentions and wrongful arrests)
• Mandamus — directing public officials, governments, courts to perform a statutory duty;
• Quo warranto — to show by what warrant is a person holding public office;
• Prohibition — directing judicial or quasi-judicial authorities to stop proceedings which it has no jurisdiction for; and
• Certiorari — re-examination of an order given by judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative authorities.
• In civil or criminal matters, the first remedy available to an aggrieved person is that of trial courts, followed by an appeal in the High Court and then the Supreme Court.
• When it comes to violation of fundamental rights, an individual can approach the High Court under Article 226 or the Supreme Court directly under Article 32.
• Article 226, however, is not a fundamental right like Article 32.

IE

12th BRICS summit

• 12th BRICS summit hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi exuded confidence in India’s vaccine production and delivery capabilities in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic.

PM says

• India have started a comprehensive reform process under the ‘Self-reliant India’ campaign.
• The campaign is based on the belief that a self-reliant and resilient India post-Covid can be a force multiplier for the global economy and make a strong contribution to the global value chains.
• During Covid, India were able to send essential medicines to more than 150 countries due to the capability of the Indian pharma industry.
• BRICS economies will play a crucial role in the global recovery after the pandemic.
• BRICS countries have more than 42 per cent of the world’s population, and they are among the main engines of the global economy.
• There is a lot of scope for increasing mutual trade between BRICS countries.
• Our mutual institutions and systems—such as BRICS Inter-Bank Cooperation Mechanism, New Development Bank, Contingent Reserve Arrangement and Customs Cooperation—can also make our contribution effective in the global recovery.
• He also identified terrorism as the “biggest problem” facing the world and asserted that there was a need to tackle the menace in an organised manner.
• Underlined the need for reform of the United Nations Security Council as well as multilateral bodies like the World Trade Organisation and the International Monetary Fund.
• The 12th BRICS summit was also attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
• The BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) is known as an influential bloc that represents over 3.6 billion people, or half of the world’s population.

IE

New Counter-terrorism Strategy

• The five-nation grouping BRICS has adopted a new counter-terrorism strategy to effectively deal with terrorism.
• The objective of BRICS counter-terrorism cooperation is to complement and strengthen the existing bilateral and multilateral ties among the BRICS countries, and to make a meaningful contribution to the global efforts of preventing and combating the threat of terrorism.
• The BRICS countries reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security and that any act of terrorism committed is a crime and has no justification.
• The BRICS countries aim to strengthen their unity in countering international terrorism and it’s financing.

AIR

Bengaluru Tech Summit, 2020

• Prime Minister will inaugurate the Bengaluru Tech Summit, 2020 on November 19.
• The Bengaluru Tech Summit, organised by the Government of Karnataka along with
• Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS),
• Karnataka government’s Vision Group on Information Technology, Biotechnology & StartUp,
• Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and
• MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications, is scheduled to take place from November 19 to 21.
• Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Swiss Confederation Vice President Guy Parmelin, and many other prominent international figures will participate in it.
• This year, the theme of the summit is “Next is Now”.
• The summit will deliberate on the key challenges emerging in the post-pandemic world with a focus on the impact of prominent technologies and innovations in the domains of ‘Information Technology and Electronics’ and ‘Biotechnology’.

PIB

Third Annual Bloomberg New Economy Forum

• Established in 2018 by Michael Bloomberg, the Bloomberg New Economy Forum seeks to build a community of leaders to engage in discussions leading to actionable solutions about the critical challenges facing a world economy.
• This year, the forum conversations centered on refueling the economy and charting a course for the future, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
• The inaugural forum was held in Singapore, followed by a second edition in Beijing, covering issues such as global economic management, trade and investment, technology, urbanisation, capital markets, climate change and inclusion.
• Addressing the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic showed the world that cities, which are also growth engines, are the most vulnerable.
• Director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, former US President Bill Clinton, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres are some of the other speakers scheduled to address the forum.

HT

Second Successful Flight Test of QRSAM System

• The Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) System tracked the target accurately and successfully neutralised the airborne target.
• The flight test, second in the series was conducted from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.
• The test was carried out once again, against the high performance Jet Unmanned Aerial Target called Banshee, which simulates an aircraft.
• The flight test was conducted in the deployment configuration of the weapon system comprising of Launcher, fully Automated Command and Control System, Surveillance System and Multi-Function Radars.
• The QRSAM weapon system, which can operate on the move, consists of all indigenously developed subsystems. All objectives of the test were fully met.
• A number of range instruments like Radar, Telemetry and Electro Optical Sensors were deployed which captured the complete flight data and verified the performance of the missile.

PIB

AICTE’s Lilavati Awards 2020

• Ministry of Education has launched AICTE’s Lilavati Awards 2020.
• The theme of the award was Women Empowerment.
• This award intends to recognize the efforts being made by AICTE approved institutions to treat women with ‘equality and fairness’ in all spheres of their lives.
• The objective of the award is to create awareness about issues like sanitation, hygiene, health, nutrition using traditional Indian values and also
• To create awareness about issues like literacy, employment, technology, credit, marketing, innovation, skill development, natural resources, and rights among women.
• The award has been divided into various categories and entries for the award are invited under the category Institutional/ Team Level which comprises of students/ faculty/ both from AICTE approved technical institution / Deemed to be University who had undertaken remarkable intervention in the various sub-themes and made an impact in the society.
• The eligible entries received from different institutions will be evaluated by a committee and the winning team will get certificates for first, second & third rank under every sub-theme.

TIMES NOW

NHRC Notes a Drop in Women Workers

• Guidelines to the government to improve women’s participation in the workforce would be issued by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) soon.
• According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey reports released by the National Statistical Office, women’s participation in the workforce “fell to its lowest points since Independence in the year 2017-18.
• The most major decline can be seen since 2004, from 29.4% to 17.5% in 2017-18. This has marginally increased to 18.6% in the year 2018-19.

Suggestions

• The need for better working conditions, gender sensitivity at workplaces, and equal sharing of household work.
• An urban employment guarantee scheme should be started along the lines of the MGNREGA with reservation for women.
• Skilling and encouraging women to take up “unconventional” jobs like of drivers and electricians.

THE HINDU

Building Blocks of Life Can Form Long Before Stars

• Scientists have shown that glycine, an important building block of life, can form under the harsh conditions that govern chemistry in space, indicating that the molecule may form in dense interstellar clouds well before they transform into new stars and planets.
• Detected glycine in the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and in samples returned to the Earth from NASA’s Stardust mission which was the first to return extraterrestrial material from outside the orbit of the Moon to the Earth.
• According to the researchers, comets are the most pristine material in our Solar System and reflect the molecular composition present at the time our Sun and planets were just about to form.
• While until recently, scientists thought that the formation of amino acids like glycine required energy, setting clear constraints to the environment in which it can be formed, the current findings suggest that these protein building blocks can form long before stars.
• The researchers showed that it is possible for glycine to form on the surface of icy dust grains of comets, in the absence of energy, through ‘dark chemistry.’
• Dark chemistry refers to chemistry without the need of energetic radiation.
• The findings contradicted previous studies which suggested that ultraviolet (UV) radiation was required to produce this molecule.
• Methylamine, the precursor molecule of glycine which was detected in the coma of the comet 67P, could form.
• Then, using a unique ultra-high vacuum setup, equipped with a series of atomic beam lines and accurate diagnostic tools, the scientists confirmed that glycine could also be formed, and that the presence of water ice was essential in this process.
• Once formed, glycine can also become a precursor to other complex organic molecules.
• Other functional groups can be added to the glycine backbone, resulting in the formation of other amino acid molecules, such as alanine and serine in dark clouds in space.
• In the end, this enriched organic molecular inventory is included in celestial bodies, like comets, and delivered to young planets, as happened to our Earth and many other planets.

THE HINDU

Country’s First Convergence Project

• Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Ministry of Power and Department of New & Renewable Energy (DNRE), Goa, have signed a memorandum of understanding to discuss rolling out of India’s first Convergence Project in the State.
• Under the MoU, EESL and DNRE will carry-out the feasibility studies and subsequent implementation of decentralized solar energy projects.
• EESL shall implement the solar energy projects, establishment of 100 MW of decentralized ground mounted Solar Power projects on government lands to be used for agricultural pumping,
• replace approximately 6,300 agricultural pumps with BEE star rated energy efficient pumps and
• Distribute approximately 16 Lakh LED bulbs for rural domestic households.
• MOU signed between EESL and Government of Goa in some sense marks beginning of fresh green revolution.
• Goa is the first state to adopt Convergence.
• The project will accrue savings of INR 2,574 crores to the State over the period of 25 years, while improving the health of DISCOMs and providing cleaner power.
• This project will provide clean day time electricity to farmers as well as energy efficient pump sets which would reduce the power consumption as well as T&D losses associated with transmitting power to agriculture and rural feeder networks.
• The solar power plant will be installed near the substation, with capacities ranging from 500 KW to 2 MW, depending on the size of the land, this will enable DISCOMs to supply power during the day time and reduce transmission losses.

PIB

Proposed Amendment In Import Regulations For Food Products

• Food regulator FSSAI has proposed amendments in import regulations, making registration and audit mandatory for foreign food manufacturing facilities that exports certain categories of food products to India.
• The categories of food products would be specified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) from time to time based on the risk.
• The FSSAI has sought comments from public on its draft regulations ‘Food Safety and Standards (Import) Amendment Regulations, 2020’ It seeks to amend the import regulations of 2017.
• The foreign food manufacturing facilities falling under such categories and desirous to export such article of food to India should register with the food authority before exporting to India.
• Either directly or through importer may apply for registration.
• On receipt of a complete application, the Food Authority would process the application for inspection and issuance of registration or rejection of the application.
• These facilities can also be inspected after the issuance of registration.
• Foreign food manufacturing facility found to be in compliance of Food Safety and Standards Act would be registered for five years.
• Facility which requires mandatory audit shall get their facility audited by the auditing agency recognized by the Food Authority.
• The frequency of audit will be specified by the food authority from time to time.
• The copy of the audit report/certificate issued by the auditing agency should be submitted to the Food Authority.
• FSSAI also proposes suspension or cancellation of registration if foreign food manufacturing facility or their food products are found not to be in compliance of food safety law.
• However, food authority might review the suspension or cancellation after giving opportunity for hearing or clarification, as deemed fit.

THE HINDU

UK To Ban Petrol, Diesel Cars From 2030

• Britain will ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars by 2030, a decade earlier than its previous commitment.
• Sales of new gasoline and diesel cars and vans will end in 2030, though hybrid vehicles can be sold until 2035.
• The government’s green plans also include investments in hydrogen energy and carbon capture technology, and an ambition to generate enough wind energy to power every home in the UK by 2030.
• Plans also include a new generation of nuclear power plants.
• The UK is due to host the COP26 global climate conference next year, after a 12-month delay because of the coronavirus pandemic.
• Britain has also pledged reduce its carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.

THE HINDU

Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA)

• Mr Morrison met with Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga in Tokyo, becoming the first world leader to meet with the new prime minister on Japanese soil since he took over from Shinzo Abe.
• Signed the Reciprocal Access Agreement that streamlines each country’s use of the other’s military bases.
• The agreement needs to be ratified by parliament.
• If finalised, it would be the first pact by Japan to allow a foreign military presence on its soil after a similar 1960 accord with the United States.
• The RAA has been under negotiation since 2014 with the major sticking point being concerns that an Australian serviceman or woman could face the death penalty if convicted of murder or other serious offences on Japanese territory.
• The two leaders expressed “serious concerns about the situation” in the South and East China Seas and “strong opposition” to militarising disputed islands and other unilateral attempts to change the status quo, without identifying China.

The Canberra Times

India, Kazakhstan Bilateral Cooperation

• The 7th round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Kazakhstan was held.
• During the consultations, the two sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation within the framework of their Strategic Partnership.
• The consultations covered political, economic and commercial, energy, defence, space, consular and cultural matters.
• They also shared views and experiences on combating COVID-19 pandemic.
• The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and agreed to enhance cooperation in the multilateral arena, including during the forthcoming stint of India in the UN Security Council for the period 2021-22.
• An MoU on “Indian Grant Assistance for Implementation of High Impact Community Development Projects in Kazakhstan” was signed.

AIR

UAE Expands Its ‘Golden’ Visa Scheme

• Recently, the United Arab Emirates announced that it is seeking to expand its ‘golden visa’ scheme under which individuals may obtain residency in the Gulf state for up to 10 years, granted they meet specific eligibility criteria.
• The golden visa is a long-term residency programme that came into effect in May 2019 following approval from the Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
• A golden visa is a type of grant issued to wealthy individuals looking to trade significant investment into a country for the opportunity to reside within it.
• The system has often been used by governments to broaden their tax base.
• The UAE has emerged as an attractive destination for investors and entrepreneurs particularly for its business-friendly and tax-free environment.

Who can obtain the golden visa now?

• PhD holders who have studied from one of the top 500 universities in the world.
• Certified doctors.
• Engineers who have specialised in the fields of computers, electronics, programming electronics, active technology, electricals, AI and Big Data are also eligible for the visa.
• ‘Highly qualified individuals’ who have received Grade Point Average (GPA) scores of 3.8 (out of 4) or higher from government-approved universities.
• Scientists and researchers who are specialists in their chosen fields, as long as they have been accredited by the Emirates Scientists Council.
• Holders of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Excellence.
• Inventors may also be eligible for the visa as long as they have obtained a patent of value that has shown to directly contribute to the UAE’s economy. These patents must be approved by the country’s Ministry of Economy.
• Foreign investors who have invested, at least, Dh10 million.
• Secondary-school or university students with outstanding academic records.

TIMES NOW

Hepatitis C Drugs

• Several Hepatitis C drugs have been found to inhibit a crucial protein enzyme in the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
• Once it has entered the human cell using its spike protein, the coronavirus uses an enzyme called the main protease to replicate.
• The coronavirus expresses long chains of compounds, which must be cut by the main protease to become functional proteins.
• Inhibiting the functioning of the main protease, therefore, is vital to stopping the virus from spreading in patients with Covid-19.
• The new study is part of efforts to quickly develop treatments for Covid-19 by repurposing existing drugs for other viral diseases.
• Three hepatitis C protease inhibitors: telaprevir, narlaprevir and boceprevir.
• The study used a technique called in vitro enzyme kinetics.
• This enables researchers to study the protease and the inhibitor in a test tube to measure the inhibitor’s binding affinity with the protease.
• The higher the binding affinity, the more effective the inhibitor is at blocking the protease from functioning.
• The study also sheds light on a peculiar behaviour of the protease’s ability to change or adapt its shape according to the size and structure of the inhibitor molecule it binds to.
• Pockets within the protease where a drug molecule would attach are highly flexible, and can either open or close to an extent.

IE

.UN To Bust Covid-19 Vaccine Myths

• Under an UN initiative, over 100 scientists have joined hands to tackle the issue of misinformation around Covid-19 vaccines and build confidence by busting myths and sharing information on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines via the social media.
• The UN has collaborated with The Vaccine Confidence Project at the University of London to undertake Team Halo, an initiative which aims to counter the misinformation around Covid-19 vaccines.
• In India, over 22 scientists have joined Team Halo from renowned institutes.
• Team Halo India will also allow scientists to respond to questions from the public and directly counter vaccine misinformation and rumours spreading in parts of the internet.
• Besides India, Team Halo aims to highlight the work undertaken by scientists in the UK, the US, South Africa, Qatar, UAE, France, Spain, Peru, Canada and Brazil and create a platform for communication between the scientists working on Covid-19 vaccines and the citizens of these countries.

Business Standard

Gaganyaan Mission

• Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (L&T) has delivered the first hardware, a booster segment, for Gaganyaan Launch Vehicle to ISRO ahead of schedule.
• The segment was produced at L&T’s Powai Aerospace Manufacturing Facility, in Mumbai meeting the enhanced quality and timeline requirements for India’s maiden manned mission.
• L&T is playing a vital role in powering ISRO’s Human Space Flight Program (HSFP).
• A trusted partner of ISRO for almost five decades, L&T has been involved in the production of a range of hardware for every mission of ISRO, including the acclaimed Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan missions.

The Hindu

Strategy to Accelerate Elimination of Cervical Cancer

• Vaccinating nine in 10 girls under 15 against cervical cancer, and improved screening and treatment of women could reduce infections by 40% and save 5 million lives by 2050, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
• Cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer among women globally, is a preventable disease but strikes at least 5,70,000 each year and kills 3,11,000.
• Almost all cases are linked to infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) types transmitted by sexual contact.
• Infection rates are twice as high in developing countries and death rates three times higher than in high-income countries.
• Some laboratories and other tools developed during the COVID-19 pandemic will be useful for screening for cervical cancer, and new tests should speed results and treatment.
• With this technology, we can get a diagnosis in 20 minutes and the woman can be treated immediately on site, making it possible to have one visit in one day and to be immediately cured of this pre-cancer lesion.

THE HINDU

Chapare Virus

• Researchers have discovered human-to-human transmission of a rare virus in Bolivia belonging to a family of viruses that can cause haemorrhagic fevers, such as Ebola.
• The virus is believed to be carried by rats, which in turn may have passed it to humans. In general, viruses spread through bodily fluids are easier to contain than respiratory viruses such as Covid-19.
• Patients suffered fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding gums, skin rash and pain behind the eyes.
• Because there are no specific drugs for the disease, patients receive only supportive care such as intravenous fluids.
• It was possible the virus had circulated for some years undetected, because it could easily be misdiagnosed as dengue, a virus with similar symptoms.

THE GUARDIAN

Que-    Who was recently appointed as the first Chairperson of Reserve Bank Innovation Hub

a) Sunil Arora

b) Kris Gopalakrishnan

c) Girish Chandra Murmu

d) Muhammad Mustafa

Ans-     (b)

Que-    “A Promised Land” released recently is an autobiography of

a) Barack Obama

b) Donald Trump

c) Xi Jinping

d) Joe Biden

Ans-     (a)

Que-    Which state has decided to set up a ‘Gau Cabinet’ for the protection and promotion of cows in the State

a) Uttar Pradesh

b) Rajasthan

c) Madhya Pradesh

d) Bihar

Ans-     (c)