UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 119 Archives Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :) To take the Test - Click Here
Significance and Historical Respective of Kartarpur Corridor ARCHIVES Search 08 Nov, 2019 Current Affairs here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx For millions of Sikhs worldwide, the inauguration of the Kartarpur corridor was a dream seven decades in the making. Ever since India and Pakistan were partitioned with an arbitrary line drawn through Punjab, the placement of Kartarpur, where Guru Nanak spent his last years, meant that while a majority of his devotees were left on one side of the border, his last resting place was left just four kilometres on the other side. Unlike the other major Sikh shrine at Guru Nanak’s birthplace Nankana Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib was off Pakistan’s highways and therefore fell into disuse. Those keen to see it were restricted to peering through binoculars at a border checkpost. The inauguration of the renovated shrine in Kartarpur by Prime Minister Imran Khan, and the access to the corridor from Sultanpur Lodhi on the Indian side by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saw the fervent hopes of all those people being granted, timed with the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. The Shrine – Gurdwara in Kartarpur The gurdwara in Kartarpur is located on the bank of river Ravi in Pakistan. It is about four km from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine, and about 120 km northeast of Lahore. It was here that Guru Nanak assembled a Sikh community and lived for 18 years until his death in 1539 The shrine is visible from the Indian side, as Pakistani authorities generally trim the elephant grass that would otherwise obstruct the view. Indian Sikhs would gather in large numbers for darshan from the Indian side, and binoculars were installed at Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak. The gurdwara was opened to pilgrims after repairs and restoration in 1999, and Sikh jathas have been visiting the shrine regularly ever since. Sikh jathas from India travel to Pakistan on four occasions every year- for Baishakhi, the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev, the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev. It is hoped that the corridor would pave the way for peace and greater progress of all people. The corridor will drastically cut down the journey pilgrims have to make from more than 200 km to just 6 km. [caption id="attachment_53169" align="aligncenter" width="402"] All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - Significance and Historical Respective of Kartarpur Corridor[/caption] Src-Click here The Way Ahead It has, in a very limited way, formally resumed people-to-people contact between the two countries. This is incredible because both countries were till recently on the brink of a full-fledged war; tensions continue to be high. As a result, cross-border contacts between both sides have been abandoned; in fact, India’s ambassador to Pakistan was asked to leave by the host country when tensions had peaked. However, neither side has been able to build on the goodwill for the project in both countries to create an atmosphere for talks on other issues. This failure was most evident when both Mr. Modi and Mr. Khan carried out separate inauguration ceremonies, but failed to come together at the border for the launch of the project, though both leaders likened it to the “coming down of the Berlin wall”. Delhi should recognise that the footprint of Punjab and its people goes beyond India and Pakistan — it has significant influence in many parts of the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi could add a new layer to his diaspora diplomacy if he promotes the celebration of ‘Punjabiyat’. That might help transcend the Kartarpur exception, facilitate the long-overdue collective reflection on what binds us together in the Subcontinent and how we might overcome our current divisions. For that promise to be realised, leaders will need to walk the extra mile, both literally and figuratively. Note: Indian pilgrims of all faiths and persons of Indian origin can use the corridor. The travel will be Visa Free; Pilgrims need to carry only a valid passport The Pakistan side has assured India to make sufficient provision for ‘Langar’ and distribution of ‘Prasad’. However, there has been no progress on resolving the disagreement over a $20 fee that Pakistan intends to levy on each traveller. Pilgrims would be allowed to carry kirpans (dagger), one of the five articles of faith worn by Sikhs. Connecting the Dots: The Kartarpur Corridor has the potential to help India and Pakistan transition from enemy to frenemy. Comment.
IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) NATGRID Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III - Security In News The ambitious National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) project will be operational by December 31, 2020 NATGRID is an online database for collating scattered pieces of information from more than 20 organisations in the field of telecom, tax records, bank, immigration, etc. to enable the generation of intelligence inputs. At least 10 central agencies like IB, R&AW; and others will have access to the data on a secured platform for counter-terror investigations. The project was started in 2009 in the aftermath of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks with a budget of Rs. 2800 crore While NATGRID’s data recovery centre in Bengaluru has been constructed, its office complex in South Delhi is nearing completion NATGRID is exempted from the Right to Information Act, 2005 under sub-section (2) of Section 24 Abrogation of Article 370 Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Indian Polity In News Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) said that Economic losses in Kashmir have run well over a billion dollars since India revoked its autonomy and statehood to Jammu & Kashmir in August 2019 India turned its erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir into a federally-controlled territory, tightening control in a shock move it said would rein in militancy in the region and promote its development. Losses arose mainly from protracted shutdown after people closed markets and businesses as a mark of protest, and for fear of reprisals from insurgents. The clampdown has hit tourism as well as farming, horticulture and the arts and crafts that contribute the most to its export-oriented economy. IMD WORLD TALENT RANKING Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Economy In News According to the latest edition of IMD World Talent Ranking, India has slipped 6 places to 59 rank on the global annual list of 63 countries. India is also lagging behind fellow BRICs countries - China ranked 42nd on the list, Russia (47th) and South Africa (50th). International Institute for Management Development (IMD) is a business education school located in Lausanne, Switzerland. The ranking is based on the performance in three main categories -- investment and development, appeal and readiness. India also witnessed one of the sharpest declines among Asian economies owing to low quality of life, negative impact of brain drain, and the low priority of its economy on attracting and retaining talents. The list was topped by Switzerland. Denmark was placed second and Sweden, was in the third place. Solar Eclipse Part of: GS Prelims In News The people of Kasaragod district(Kerala) will have a rare opportunity to witness the December 26 solar eclipse first in all of India. It is one of the three places in the world where the eclipse will be most clearly seen. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun. Observers will be able to experience the “ring of fire” that is characteristic for this kind of solar eclipse. This is a rare event that can be seen only along a relatively narrow strip on the earth’s surface. The eclipse is also visible in other areas, but the moon will not move centrally in front of the sun there and the “ring of fire” will not be visible. The bright ring of sunlight around the moon at the height of the annular solar eclipse is nicknamed the "ring of fire" during the eclipse [caption id="attachment_53121" align="aligncenter" width="437"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th November 2019[/caption] Src : Click here ROAD ACCIDENTS IN INDIA-2018 Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Infrastructure In News The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways released the annual report on road accidents in India, which shows a daily average of 1,280 road crashes and 415 deaths Some of the findings of the report are: More than 1.5 lakh people lost their lives in road crashes in the country in 2018, registering an increase of 2.4% as compared to the 2017 (1.47 lakh fatalities) Of the total people killed in road crash deaths in 2018, 48% were between 18 years and 35 years old. Minors involved in road crash deaths were at 6.6% of the total deaths. Over-speeding is a major killer, accounting for 64.4% of the persons killed. This category was followed by driving on the wrong side of the road, which accounted for 5.8% of the accident related deaths. Use of mobile phones accounted for 2.4% of the deaths and drunken driving accounted for 2.8% of the persons killed. As many as 43,614 deaths or 28.8% of total road accident deaths in the country last year were caused due to “non-wearing of helmets” Among the States, Tamil Nadu (13.7%) topped the country in terms of the total number of road crashes, followed by Madhya Pradesh (11%) and Uttar Pradesh (9.1%). India is the most unsafe country in the world for road users across 199 countries, as reported by the Geneva-based World Road Federation’s World Road Statistics 2018. It’s followed by China (63,000 deaths) and the U.S. (37,000 deaths). [caption id="attachment_53120" align="aligncenter" width="334"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th November 2019[/caption] Src : Click here (MAINS FOCUS) IR TOPIC: General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian Diaspora. Nationwide protests in Iran Context Nationwide protests broke out recently challenging the Iranian regime. Thousands of people took to the streets, similar to the recent protests in Hong Kong, Chile, Lebanon and neighbouring Iraq The protesters chanted slogans against the Islamic regime, carried “Death to Khamenei” posters, in a direct challenge to the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Why protests? Government announced increase in the fuel price of up to 200% The protests are the first to involve middle-class Iranians since the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests Amnesty International reports that at least 106 protesters have been killed Background: Sanctions by the United States and the European Union, coupled with economic mismanagement, have led to a severe economic crisis in Iran in the past few years. Inflation is at 40% Iran is experiencing one of its hardest years since the 1979 Islamic revolution". Iranian allies in Lebanon and Iraq have also witnessed anti-government protests The decision to increase fuel price is seen as an attempt to manage the economic crisis. The increase in oil price helps to fund the subsidies of around 60 million Iranians Oil price in Iran: Iran still has the lowest fuel prices in the world. But people are reeling under high inflation, joblessness and a collapsing economy , hence led to protests Crux: President Donald Trump’s decision last year to pull the U.S. out of the 2015 nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions has dealt a blow to Iran’s economy. A quarter of Iran’s youth are unemployed. IMF: Country’s economy is expected to contract by 9.5% The currency, the rial, has plunged to record lows against the dollar. Iran’s Response: In recent years, Iran has seen many protests and labour agitations. And the regime’s response has always been typical. Iran branded the protesters as counter-revolutionaries and blamed foreign hands. Conclusion: The latest round of protests might die down. But Iran needs a lasting solution to address its revolting underbelly. The economic woes have weakened the delicate balance between the regime and its angry youth. Connecting the dots: Iran can’t violently suppress the protesters forever and needs to get the nuclear deal back on track. Justify SECURITY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights ‘Pegasus’ spyware and Data security Context: WhatsApp sued the Israel-based NSO Group for the use of its ‘Pegasus’ spyware on thousands of WhatsApp users in the lead-up to the general elections.. accusing it of using their messaging platform to despatch Pegasus for surveillance to approximately 1,400 mobile phones and devices worldwide. The NSO claims that it only sells the software to governments but the Indian government has denied purchasing it and has asked WhatsApp to explain the security breach. Phones of several dozen Indian journalists, lawyers and human rights activists had been compromised using an invasive Israeli-developed malware called Pegasus. 121 individuals were targeted in India alone. Pegasus Pegasus is a spyware developed by the Israeli cyberarms firm, NSO Group It can be installed on devices running certain versions of iOS, Apple's mobile operating system, Pegasus is capable of reading text messages, tracking calls, collecting passwords, tracing the location of the phone, accessing the target device's microphone(s) and video camera(s Apple released version of its iOS software to fix the vulnerabilities. News of the spyware got significant media attention. It was called the "most sophisticated" smartphone attack ever. Surveillance laws in India Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, deals with interception of calls, Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, deals with interception of data. Under both laws, only the government, under certain circumstances, is permitted to conduct surveillance, and not private actors. Hacking is prohibited under the IT Act IT Act cover the civil and criminal offences of data theft and hacking respectively. punishment for dishonestly receiving stolen computer resource or communication, includes imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years. Judgments: In 1996, the Supreme Court noted that there was a lack of procedural safeguards in the Indian Telegraph Act. It laid down some guidelines that were later codified into rules in 2007. This included a specific rule that orders on interceptions of communication should only be issued by the Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs. Under the IT Act only the competent authority can issue an order for the interception, monitoring or decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource (mobile phones would count). In 2018, the Central government created a furore when it authorised 10 Central agencies to conduct surveillance ,this action of the Union government has been challenged in the Supreme Court. Privacy: The Supreme Court in a landmark decision in 2017 unanimously upheld right to privacy as a fundamental right under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution. Data Protection Committee under retired Justice B.N. Srikrishna held public hearings across India and submitted a draft data protection lawdraft law does not deal adequately with surveillance reform. US as Example: Electronic surveillance is considered a search under the Fourth Amendment which protects individuals from unreasonable search and seizure. Thus the government has to obtain a warrant from a court in each case and crucially, establish probable cause to believe a search is justified. After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the USA PATRIOT (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act was passed. Under certain provisions in this Act, the U.S. government used phone companies to collect information on millions of citizens and these were part of revelations made by the whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013 Report: In 2019, the U.K.-based security survey of 47 countries found that only five countries had “adequate safeguards” and most are actively conducting surveillance on citizens and sharing information about them. China and Russia featured as the top two worst offenders on the list. India in 3rd position because its data protection Bill is yet to take effect and there isn’t a data protection authority in place. Connecting the dots: After the WhatsApp breach, what should the way forward for the data protection? Analyse. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1) Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Solar eclipse’ A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in a direct line between the Earth and the sun. Solar Eclipse takes place twice a year in the month of May and November. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statementsabout World Talent Ranking It is released by World Economic Forum India has slipped 6 places to 59 rank on the global annual list of 63 countries, in the recently released ranking. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements More than 1.5 lakh people lost their lives in road crashes in the country in 2018, registering an increase of 2.4% as compared to the 2017 India is the third most unsafe country in the world for road users across 199 countries, as reported by the Geneva-based World Road Federation’s World Road Statistics 2018. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements about NATGRID It is an online database for collating scattered pieces of information from more than 20 organisationsto enable the generation of intelligence inputs. NATGRID also comes under the ambit of Right to Information Act,2005 Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 19 Nov 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 B 3 A 4 C 5 A MUST READ Turning the policy focus to child undernutrition The Hindu The threat to the idea of a public university The Hindu Discussions of rural poverty fail to factor in multi-dimensional changes in the sector in the last five years IE Ranjan Gogoi’s tenure as CJI started with a whimper, ended with a bang IE SC has always upheld and strengthened secularism, but its Ayodhya ruling is problematic on that score IE That primary employment is rising is a reason for hope IE
Overall Analysis of BRICS Summit ARCHIVES Search for 15 Nov 2019: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving Indiaand/or affecting India’s interests Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora. Origin The term “BRIC” was coined in 2001 by then-chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Jim O’Neill The summit’s focus: Means of improving the global economic situation and reforming financial institutions Acronym for an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa About BRICS All are members of G20; Represent over 3.1 billion people, 41% of the world population As of 2018, BRICS have US $40.55 trillion (32% of World’s GDP PPP) Bilateral relations among BRICS nations are conducted on the basis of non-interference, equality, and mutual benefit. There are two components that make up the financial architecture of BRICS, namely, the New Development Bank (NDB) (BRICS Development Bank) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA). 2019 Theme: Economic Growth for an Innovative Future India & BRICS India finds itself as one of the emerging economies in the grouping and beyond, especially G20. BRICS now brings together five economies accounting for 42% of the world’s population, 23% of the global GDP and an around 17% share of world trade. BRICS has emerged the voice of developing countries, or the global south. These countries face an aggressive club of developed countries, raising challenges on issues from WTO to climate change. India believes BRICS has to protect the rights of the developing countries. The fact that BRICS has put counter-terrorism on top of the agenda has been a success for India. That was evident in the BRICS Summit in Xiamen in September 2017, with China as the chair. The fact that it was achieved, despite the strained ties due to the standoff in Doklam, was a testimony to the value Beijing and New Delhi attach to the outcomes of the grouping. India will host a BRICS workshop on digital forensics Humanity has come away from threats like World War. But terrorism has emerged as the biggest threat to development and peace. In ten years, two and a half million lives were lost at the hands of terrorism and the society suffered deep damage. Also, according to various estimates, more than one trillion dollars was lost to the world's economy. And has reduced the economic growth of developing countries by 1.5 per cent. Terrorism, terrorism financing, drug trafficking and organized crimes create deep indirect harm to business and business by creating an environment of scepticism. In this direction, India will organize a workshop on digital forensic analysis of terrorism. Build on the workshops hosted on traditional medicine and have a BRICS Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on traditional medicine, an initiative that was taken up under India's presidency of BRICS in 2016. Proposed the first meeting of BRICS Water Ministers in India in order to push for sustainable water management and clean sanitation India will host the BRICS Digital Health Summit on Innovative Solutions to Healthy Lifestyle. This will be in keeping with "Fit India Movement” launched. The Digital Health Summit will seek to integrate digital technology with healthcare informatics and diagnostics. Way forward: India has to maintain the balancing act between Russia-China on the one side and the US on the other. India has had a growing role in global affairs in the last and is seen to be helping drive the global agenda. The BRICS mechanism and processes should be outcome-driven and efficient in order to address global economic challenges. Conclusion: The Summit is an opportunity for India to lay the groundwork for hosting the 2021 Summit scheduled in India. India also needs to be mindful of the fact that the G20 Summit to be hosted in India will take place in 2022, and this will be an opportunity to synergise the two agendas from New Delhi’s lens as well. Prelims-oriented News: Host of BRICS Digital Health Summit on innovative solutions to a healthy lifestyle that will seek to integrate digital technology with healthcare informatics and diagnostics: India New Development Bank Based in Shanghai Multilateral development bank operated by the BRICS states The bank’s primary focus of lending will be infrastructure projects with authorized lending of up to $34 billion annually. The bank will have starting capital of $50 billion, with capital increased to $100 billion over time. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will initially contribute $10 billion each to bring the total to $50 billion. BRICS CRA: BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement Framework for providing protection against global liquidity pressures. This includes currency issues where members’ national currencies are being adversely affected by global financial pressures. The CRA is generally seen as a competitor to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and along with the New Development Bank is viewed as an example of increasing South-South cooperation. Connecting the Dots: India finds itself as one of the emerging economies in the BRICS grouping and beyond. Justify Do a comparative analysis of the genesis and objectives of BRICS, RIC and IBSA. BRICS represent the aspirations of developing countries. Comment.
UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 118 Archives Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :) To take the Test - Click Here
[Video] IASbaba’s MAINS Strategy/Discussion Classes: TLP Connect/Plus 2020- GS1, GS2, GS3, GS4 (ETHICS) Hi, Here we bring you the MAINS Strategy/Discussion Classes of IASbaba’s TLP Connect/Plus Programme 2020. Get a glimpse of discussion classes at IASbaba, taken by the Founder and Core team member’s of IASbaba. The Discussion classes go on for 2.5-3 hours after each test. But here we have uploaded 30 minutes video, where you will be able to learn- How to Decode the syllabus How to read a topic from the syllabus What should be the Strategy for each General Studies (GS) Paper What should be the thought process when you read a topic How to link Current Affairs with Static part of the Syllabus Important Ingredients/Pointers for each GS Paper Discussion/Analysis of 3-4 questions of each Paper How to approach Ethics and Case Studies Important Note: Make sure you listen to the complete video to get the best inputs for each GS Paper. For more Details about the TLP Connect/Plus Programme 2020 and Enrolment -> CLICK HERE IASbaba’s TLP Connect/Plus 2020 Discussion Class - General Studies (GS) 1 by Atyab Sir (Core Team of IASbaba) [embed]https:// https://www.youtube.com/embed/l2WUYRmxkjo[/embed] IASbaba’s TLP Connect/Plus 2020 Discussion Class - General Studies (GS) 2 by Mohan Sir (Founder of IASbaba) [embed]https:// [embed]https:// https://www.youtube.com/embed/gUWYmpusoew[/embed] IASbaba’s TLP Connect/Plus 2020 Discussion Class - General Studies (GS) 3 by Mohan Sir (Founder of IASbaba) [embed]https:// https://www.youtube.com/embed/jf6HNRqS7VY[/embed] IASbaba’s TLP Connect/Plus 2020 GS 4 -ETHICS Strategy by Vivek Sir [embed]https:// https://www.youtube.com/embed/e8zV5N8MjX0[/embed] Thank You IASbaba
Alopecia Areata Archives What is Alopecia Areata? Alopecia areata is a disease that attacks your hair follicles (the part of your skin that makes hair). It is a common autoimmune skin disease, causing hair loss on the scalp, face and sometimes on other areas of the body. In most cases, hair falls out in small, round patches about the size of a quarter. What causes it? It is a polygenic disorder. This means that, unlike a single-gene disease, both parents must contribute a number of specific genes in order for a child to develop it. Because of this, most parents will not pass alopecia areata along to their children. With identical twins — who share all of the same genes — there’s only a 55% chance that if one has alopecia areata, the other will, too. This is why scientists believe that it takes more than just genetics to cause the disease and that other environmental factors also contribute to people developing alopecia areata. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease, which means your immune system mistakes the normal cells in your body as foreign invaders and attacks these cells. Scientists aren’t exactly sure what “triggers” the immune system to attack healthy hair follicles when people have alopecia areata, or even if these triggers first happen inside the body (from a virus or bacteria), outside the body (from something in your surroundings) or if it’s a combination of both. Studies have shown that environmental factors such as high stress levels, low amounts of zinc and iron in the body, trigger the condition in an individual who is already genetically susceptible. How is alopecia diagnosed? A pull test may be done. Your healthcare provider will tell you to not shower or wash your hair for 24 hours. He or she will gently tug on about 60 hairs. If more than 6 hairs come out, they may be sent for tests. A punch biopsy is done to look at your scalp. Your healthcare provider will get 2 samples of scalp tissue and send for tests. A trichogram measures hair loss. Your healthcare provider will look at hair under a microscope. He or she will measure the different stages of hair growth. Blood tests may be done to find the cause of your alopecia. How is alopecia treated? The treatment for hair loss depends on the cause of your condition. Sometimes your hair loss may get better on its own and no treatment is needed. If your hair loss is related to a medicine you are taking, talk to your healthcare providers. There may be other medicines you could take instead that will not cause hair loss. If your hair loss is severe, you may need one or more of the following treatments: Medicines: Hair growing agents help promote hair growth. The medicine must be used continuously until new hair grows on the affected area. Steroids help decrease inflammation and damage to the hair follicle. Corticosteroids may be used to treat alopecia areata. Estrogen is a female hormone that is used for women with hyperandrogenism (high levels of male hormones). Estrogen can reduce the effects of male hormones on hair growth. This treatment is used in women with female pattern baldness. Immunologic agents affect the immune system cells that may be attacking hair follicles. This treatment is used to treat alopecia areata. Antibiotics or antifungals may be needed if your alopecia is caused by an infection. Hair transplant surgery removes hair follicles from one part of your head and puts them into the bald area. This is usually done only if your condition is severe and medicines fail to improve your hair loss. Ask your healthcare provider for more information about hair transplant surgery.
IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 19th November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III - Agriculture In News Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched Bharatiya PoshanKrishiKosh It is a repository of diverse crops across 128 agro-climatic zones to help enable better nutritional outcomes It aims to promote and reinforce healthy dietary practices both at the individual and community level and tackle malnutrition in a sustainable manner. The kosh helps in reducing malnutrition through a multi-sectoral results-based framework, including agriculture, among women and children across the country. Harvard Chan School of Public Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be a part of this initiative. They will document and evaluate promising regional dietary practices and the messaging around them and develop a food atlas on regional agro-food systems. Winter-grade diesel Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Energy, Security In News State-run Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC) launched a special winter-grade diesel that remains unfrozen up to minus 33 degree Celsius. Motorists in high-altitude sectors like Ladakh, Kargil, Kaza and Keylong face the problem of freezing of diesel in their vehicles when winter temperatures drop to as low as -30o Celsius. Regular diesel fuel contains paraffin wax which is added for improving viscosity and lubrication. At low temperatures, the paraffin wax thickens or “gels” and hinders the flow of the fuel in the car engine. Indian Oil has come up with an innovative solution to this problem by introducing a special winter-grade diesel with a low pour-point of -33o Celsius, which does not lose its fluidity function even in extreme winter conditions In general, it is achieved by treatment with additives that change the low temperature characteristics of the fuel. The fuel would help provide year-round access to snow-capped border regions, and is part of India’s efforts to speed up strategic road connectivity Starlink network Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Science & Technology (Space) In News SpaceX, the world’s leading private company in space technology, fired a spray of 60 satellites into low earth orbit, the first operational batch of what is intended to eventually evolve into a constellation of nearly 12,000 satellites aimed at providing low-cost and reliable space-based Internet services to the world. Internet has now become a part of humanity’s basic infrastructure and an important means of delivering a wide variety of public services to the world’s peoples Currently, about 4 billion people, more than half the world’s population, do not have access to reliable Internet networks. And that is because the traditional ways to deliver the Internet — fibre-optic cables or wireless networks — cannot take it everywhere on Earth.In many remote areas, or places with difficult terrain, it is not feasible or viable to set up cables or mobile towers. Signals from satellites in space can overcome this obstacle easily. In space-based networks, data requests travel from the user to the satellite, and are then directed to data centres on the ground Criticism to the project: Increased space debris Increased risk of collisions and The concern of astronomers that these constellations of space Internet satellites will make it difficult to observe other space objects, and to detect their signals. Do You Know? There are fewer than 2,000 operational satellites at present, and fewer than 9,000 satellites have been launched into space since the beginning of the Space Age in 1957. Most of the operational satellites are located in the lower orbits. On September 2019, the European Space Agency (ESA) had to perform, for the first time ever, a “collision avoidance manoeuvre” to protect one of its live satellites from colliding with a “mega constellation” India-Bhutan Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II –India and Neighbourhood In News Bhutan plans to levy charges on tourists from regional countries, including India, Bangladesh and the Maldives, who atpresent are exempted from any charges. The sharp increase in the number of tourists from the region was cited for the move to start imposing levy on tourists from India, Bangladesh & Maldives In contrast to other international tourists, who pay $250 (Approx. INR. 18,000) as a minimum charge per day per person, tourists from India, Bangladesh and the Maldives had so far paid no fees, and were able to cross over without visas. The objective of “tourism tax” is to combat over-tourism and get visitors to pay for the upkeep and maintenance of the public spaces they are visiting Tourist levy will put Bhutan out of the league of budget destination but the counter argument is that without such charges Bhutan would not be able to preserve its local heritage and culture. In 2018, of the 2,74,000 tourists visiting Bhutan, the council estimated that about 2,00,000 were from the region, of which about 1,80,000 were from India. Maternity scheme performance Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II - Health In News Pradhan MantriMatruVandanaYojana (PMMVY)scheme benefitted just 31% eligible mothers, say researchers who extrapolated data obtained under RTI PMMVY is a vital programme to support lactating mothers and pregnant women by compensating them for loss of wages during their pregnancy. The PMMVY is targeted only at women delivering their first child. A cash amount of ₹6,000 is transferred to the bank account of the beneficiary in three instalments upon meeting certain conditions including early registration of pregnancy, having at least one ante-natal check-up and registration of child birth. Given the stipulated conditions, the scheme brings under its ambit 23% of all births and pays full benefits to a mere 14% of all births, which was at 270.5 lakh for 2017 Several factors impeded proper implementation of the programme that aims to fight malnutrition among children. These include an application form of about 23 pages, a slew of documents such as mother-child protection card, Aadhaar card, husband’s Aadhaar card and bank passbook aside from linking their bank accounts with Aadhaar. Gram Sabha to have power to ban liquor Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – Panchayat Raj Institutions In News The Haryana Cabinet took an in-principle decision to bring an amendment in Section 31 of the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, allowing devolution of powers to the Gram Sabha to ban liquor within the local area of a Gram Panchayat The quorum of the Gram Sabha meeting for passing such a resolution shall be one-tenth of its members No liquor vends will be allowed in Haryana villages from the next financial year without its panchayat's approval. Article 47 state that "The State shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption except for medicinal purposes of intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to health". Cartosat-3 Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Science & Technology (Space) In News ISRO is set for launch of Cartosat-3 Cartosat-3, an advanced earth imaging and mapping satellite, will be flown on the PSLV-C47 vehicle The 1,560 kg satellite will have 13 small U.S. customer satellites riding as secondary passengers. They will be placed in a polar orbit. Cartosat-3, with an ISRO-best resolution of 25 cm, will be the first of a series of high resolution, third generation satellites planned for observing the Earth. The satellite will be able to pick up objects of that size (25 cm) from its orbital perch about 509 km away. This will make Cartosat-3 among the few sharpest, if not the best, civil earth imagers worldwide. (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY TOPIC:General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment SC’s judgment in Essar Steel insolvency case Context: Essar Steel owes Rs 54,547 crore to its creditors — financial creditors and operational creditors combined. The company had been put on the block under IBC to recover the unpaid dues. The Ahmedabad-bench of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had on March 8 okayed the bid submitted by ArcelorMittal, led by steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, for the takeover of Essar Steel. The operational creditors had opposed the bid on the basis that they were getting notional payment, while 92.5 per cent of the financial creditors' dues were being paid. This case being one of India's most high-profile insolvency cases, any order on Essar Steel is likely to have ramifications for similar resolution schemes. SC judgement: The committee of creditors (CoC) will have a final say in the resolution plans under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) cannot interfere with the commercial decisions taken by the CoC. “The law talks of “equitable” and not “equal” treatment of operational creditors. Fair and equitable dealing of operational creditors’ rights involves the resolution plan stating as to how it has dealt with the interests of operational creditors, which is not the same thing as saying that they must be paid the same amount of their debt proportionately” SC [caption id="attachment_52954" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 19th November 2019[/caption] Src: ET Do you know? Financial creditors are those who provide long-term capital in the form of loans. Operational creditors are usually the suppliers of raw materials, etc. NCLT order: The NCLAT, in its order, said financial creditors would get 60.7 per cent of their admitted claims of Rs 49,473 crore, about the same as operational creditors. The operational creditors with admitted claim amount of less than Rs 1 crore would get 100 per cent, while above Rs 1 crore would get 60.26 per cent and workmen and employees would get 100 per cent. The tribunal had said that the CoC will have no role in the distribution of Rs 42,000 crore and allowed claims of the operational creditors. Crux: A consortium of banks led by the SBI had moved the Supreme Court against a National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) order in the case. The NCLAT had held that Essar Steel's operational creditors be treated on par with financial creditors when settling the claims. Essar Steel's Committee of Creditors (CoC) had sought the quashing of NCLAT's July 4 order that approved the Rs 42,000-crore bid for the debt-laden firm by ArcelorMittal. This was to be divided between the financial creditors who are owed Rs 30,030 crore and the operational creditors who are owed Rs 11,969 crore. Advantages for Bank : Banks are expected to recover 90 per cent of their exposure to the Essar Steel account. Compares with only 60 per cent they would have recovered earlier as per the order of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal Conclusion: The Court order and government move on financial service providers — bode well for the banks battling high NPAs. While banks will recover money resolution process in large accounts, likely stress from NBFC and telecom accounts will remain a drag. Connecting the dots: The Supreme Court’s order is being seen as bringing the rigour and momentum back into the IBC as an effective tool to deal with stressed assets in the economy. Analyse ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. Wage Code Bill The government introduced the labour codes on wages and on occupational safety, health and working conditions in the Lok Sabha. The Code Of Wages, 2019 is applicable to employees in organised sector and unorganised sector, while the central government will continue to make wage related decisions for railways, mines, oil fields, and central public sector undertakings. It subsumes The Payment of Wages Act, 1936;The Minimum Wages Act, 1948;The Payment of Bonus Act, 1965; and The Equal Renumeration Act,1976. [caption id="attachment_52955" align="aligncenter" width="501"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 19th November 2019[/caption] Src: ET Need for Wage code: 62% of the workforce is made up of casual workers who need the right to minimum wages Present minimum wages act is complicated 33% of the workers are underpaid than the indicative minimum wages in 2009-10 Features: Consolidate India's 44 labour laws into four codes in order to rationalize labour laws and improve ease of doing business. Benefit two fifths of its population, or 50 crore workers End a complicated wage system and bring down the number of wage rates from 2,000-plus to around 300 This will ensure that process of registration and filing of returns will get standardised and streamlined. With various labour related definitions getting standardised, it is expected that there shall be less dispute Now 60% of workers are not covered under the Minimum Wages Act. The new law will give the right to minimum wages to the entire 50 crore workforce Ensures timely payment of wages. The floor wage will be fixed by the Centre on the basis of recommendations of a central advisory board, which would be represented by members of trade unions, employers’ association, state government and independent experts This will lead to transparency, accountability, better enforcement of labour laws and better utilisation of available workforce Occupation identification: There are four skill levels — unskilled, semiskilled, skilled and highly skilled — while geography can be plains, hilly and undulated, coastal, urban and rural, among others. The occupation category is done away with. The states have an ‘and/or’ option while considering skills and geography to decide on a minimum wage rate. A state may well decide to have one wage rate if it goes for one geographical parameter Concerns: Applies only to people earning less than `24,000 a month in scheduled employments, leaving out a large number of workers There will still be no single national minimum wage rate. the floor wage might be worse than the market wage rate in which case the entire purpose of having minimum wages and improving standard of living collapses The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, prohibits gende rbased discrimination in terms of wages, recruitment and conditions of service. The Code has omitted this act It will be tough for the government now to ensure implementation and redress even if there is a 10% lapse in compliance - or 5 crore complaints - for the 50 crore workers the law aims to cover. The removal of essential powers of labour inspectors MNREGA MNREGA workers will not come under code wage bill MNREGA payout is not exactly a wage. It is a scheme, which does not have a strict employer-employee relation. Its wages will continue to be fixed by the Rural Development Ministry. Connecting the dots: A ‘national minimum wage’ is a good idea, but its computation is cause for concern. Analyse The proxy economic exercise on gauging the gap between actual average wage of casual workers and the national floor level minimum wages (NFLMW) hides more than it reveals. Comment (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1) Article 47 deals with which of the following provisions? Education for all children below 6 years Uniform Civil Code Duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health None of the above Q.2) Consider the following statements about Starlink network It is launched by Coalition of Space agencies and Private organisation led by NASA and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) It is aimed at providing low-cost and reliable space-based Internet services to the world. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about Cartosat-3 Cartosat-3, with an ISRO-best resolution of 25 cm, will be the first of a series of high resolution, third generation satellites planned for observing the Earth It will be launched by GSLV MK-III Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements about Pradhan Mantri Matru VandanaYojana (PMMVY) The aim of the scheme is to support lactating mothers and pregnant women by compensating them for loss of wages during their pregnancy. The PMMVY is targeted only at women delivering their first child where a cash amount of ₹6,000 is transferred to the bank account of the beneficiary Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Consider the following statements about Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh It is a repository of diverse crops across 128 agro-climatic zones to help enable better nutritional outcomes United Nations Food & Agricultural organisation (FAO) will be a part of this initiative, who will document and evaluate promising regional dietary practices Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 18 Nov 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 B 3 C 4 A 5 A MUST READ When longevity is the biggest achievement: on Shinzo Abe The Hindu An elusive reconciliation in Sri Lanka The Hindu BRICS on the ball? The Hindu Rajapaksa challenge for Delhi in Lanka ET Government data always come with limitations, but now they have a political dimension IE SC has always upheld and strengthened secularism, but its Ayodhya ruling is problematic on that score IE
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IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 18th November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) AGRIDEX Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III - Economy In News National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) has launched India’s first agri index — ‘NCDEX Agridex’, for easy reference to price variations in agricultural commodities. Launched with a composition of 10 leading liquid contracts on the NCDEX platform at present which will be tradable after being approved by SEBI Leading commodities such as guar seed, guar gum, soybean, chana, mustard seed, and jeera, etc, will be the index’s constituents. For indices, the NCDEX has partnered with NSE Indices, a leading index service provider, as a third party, to maintain and disseminate real-time NCDEX Agridex values. Futures trading on Agridex will enhance overall liquidity on the exchange platform The NCDEX’s index launch is in continuance with Sebi’s plan to broaden its horizon in commodities trading through the introduction of a new set of players and products GERMANY’S CLIMATE PROTECTION ACT Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Environment In News The German parliament passed the Climate Protection Act in an attempt to reach its climate target by 2030 This will be Germany’s first climate action law. With this bill, a price on carbon emissions in the transport and heating sectors will be imposed along with some other measures to combat climate change. The bill consists of emissions targets for different sectors of the economy such as transport, energy and housing. Flying domestically and within Europe will be made more expensive, due to increase in aviation tax. From 2021, companies that market diesel and petrol, heating oil and natural gas in the country will need to obtain pollution rights for the amount of greenhouse gases they emit. This will be regulated through a national emissions trading mechanism Do You Know? Germany wants to save over 55 % of its greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990. Recently, New Zealand passed the Zero-Carbon Law in a bid to comply with its Paris climate accord commitments and become a carbon-neutral nation by the year 2050. However, unlike New Zealand, where the bill was passed with near-unanimous support, the same was not the case with Germany, where the opposition voted against it For more details, refer: https://iasbaba.com/2019/11/daily-current-affairs-ias-upsc-prelims-and-mains-exam-11th-november-2019/ Seismometer Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains I - Geography In News The seismometer, which helps measure the magnitude of an earthquake, and several other key instruments installed at the Jayakwadi dam have stopped functioning properly. Jayakwadi dam is a multipurpose project located on Godavari river, where the water is mainly used to irrigate agricultural land in the drought-prone Marathwada Region of Maharashtra state. Also other instruments, like the piezometer (to measure liquid pressure), earth pressure cell (to monitor total pressure in earthfill dams) and slope meter, have been out order for the last two years The seismometer was installed at the Jayakwadi dam after the devastating earthquake in Killari in Latur district in 1993. This instrument is powerful as it has a range of 10,000 km. In the past, it has recorded the epicentres of earthquakes in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia and Nepal. Voluntary model code of conduct Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II - Polity In News Supreme Court is hearing case on whether Cabinet Ministers at both the Central and State levels should have a “voluntary model code of conduct” which addresses their private and public activities. The Court is examining if “greater restrictions” should be imposed on the right of free speech and expression of high public functionaries to protect the citizen’s fundamental right to lead a dignified life. The question was framed after family members of the Bulandshahr rape case victim complained about former Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan’s public statements that the rape case was part of a political conspiracy against the then state government The lawyers arguing for petitioners asked the court to direct the government to frame the code of conduct for Cabinet Ministers, with the Cabinet head ensuring a collective responsibility for the activities of the individual Ministers. Union Ministry of Home Affairs already has a code of conduct for Ministers, which is essentially concerned with financial discipline, that is narrow and inadequate. It should be enlarged to include the private & public activities of the Ministers in general. Minimum operating price Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III - Economy In News In an effort to create a level playing field for online and offline retailers, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has written to government seeking implementation of a “minimum operating price” (MOP) MOP is the price consisting of landing price, operational cost and reasonable profit margin and below the MOP no product should be sold in the market The traders' body alleged that e-commerce companies and brands in collusion with banks, by charging much lower price (through deep discounts) than the actual market value is depriving the government of GST and other revenue. Other measures recommended by CAIT are: Cash back on credit cards given by the banks should also be made applicable to offline trade. There should not be any kind of exclusivity either for online or offline trade. Upgrade or buyback offer by brands should remain the same for both offline and online trade. All schemes of the brands should be made available to online and offline trade in a transparent manner Government should constitute a Regulatory Authority to regulate and monitor all verticals of retail trade including small retail, big retail, e-commerce and direct selling besides MOP, and if anyone wants to offer any scheme, the same should be approved by the Regulatory Authority. Insurance companies to merge as planned Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III - Economy In News Finance Minister reiterated that the government would move forward on the merger of the three state-run general insurance companies as announced in the previous Budget. In the February 2018 Budget, the government had announced a plan to merge three public sector general insurance firms—National Insurance, United India Insurance and Oriental Insurance. Subsequently, it planned to list the merged entity on the stock exchanges. However, there has been little progress on the merger since, even as the financial health of the firms deteriorated in terms of losses, falling market share and poor solvency ratios. There is a need for immediate recapitalisation as per their current balance sheet position, according to which they are either on or below the minimum required insolvency ratio of 1.5 According to rough estimates, the need for immediate recapitalisation is at least Rs 2,000-3,000 crore in each of the companies, while the collective requirement is close to Rs 12,000-13,000 crore. The three sets of challenges identified are integration of work culture, rolling out common software, and rationalisation of branches. In total, the three insurers have close to 6,000 offices across the country. Miscellaneous Rajya Sabha: The Journey since 1952 It is a publicationbrought out by the Rajya Sabha secretariat to mark the 250th session of the Upper House that begins from18th Nov 2019. Some of the interesting facts about the house are: Rajya Sabha’s first sitting was on May 13, 1952. The longest debate on any given subject till date was on the government’s failure to provide adequate security to former PM Rajiv Gandhi in wake of his assassination at Sriperumbudur by LTTE cadres. The debate went on for 12 hours and four minutes on June 4, 1991. The Upper House which on March 9, 2010, cleared the Women’s Reservation Bill that proposes to reserve 33% of all seats in Lok Sabha for women, has a dismissal record itself in terms of women members. In 2014 it had the highest number of women members at 31 and in 1970 the lowest at 14. Under Congress governments from 1952-1969 and again between 1972-1977, there was no leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha since no opposition parties had enough members to stake claim to the position. In 67 years of it’s existence, the Upper House has expelled only three members Rajya Sabha has sat beyond midnight on nine occasions and so far its longest sitting was on December 17, 1981 when the House sat till 4.43 a.m. to debate and clear Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to ensure that normal life of people is not obstructed by strikes and shutdowns. (MAINS FOCUS) SOCIETY TOPIC: General Studies 1: Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies. The Sabarimala review Context: A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court referred Kerala's Sabarimala temple case to a larger bench of seven judges, with a 3:2 majority. The bench did not stay the judgment passed on 28 September 2018 that had lifted the ban on entry of women between age 10 and 50 to the temple. Women can still visit the shrine until the larger bench decides on the matter. Sabarimala case previous judgment: ”Right to pray” in the temple for women between 10 and 50 years of age won over the ‘right to wait’ campaign as the Supreme Court condemned the prohibition as “hegemonic patriarchy”. Patriarchy cannot trump freedom to practice religion Logic behind the ban: The restriction imposed on entry of women in Sabarimala is because of the nature of the deity worshipped there as a ‘naishtika brahmachari’ (celibate). Some argue that it is not because of any discriminatory attitude towards women based on biological factors such as menstruation. But many are of the opinion that it is due to the age-old practice and belief that the presence of women deviated men from celibacy. This places the burden of a men’s celibacy on women thus, stigmatising women and stereotyping them. Individual dignity of women could not be at the mercy of a mob. Morality was not ephemeral. It transcended biological and physiological barriers. SC underlines the Constitution’s transformative power (Points can be used in mains answer and essay) The Constitution protects religious freedom in two ways – It protects an individual’s right to profess, practise and propagate a religion Assures similar protection to every religious denomination to manage its own affairs. Observations made by the Judges: The argument that the practice is justified because women of menstruating age would not be able to observe the 41-day period of abstinence before making a pilgrimage failed to impress the judges. To Chief Justice Dipak Misra, any rule based on segregation of women pertaining to biological characteristics is indefensible and unconstitutional. Devotion cannot be subjected to the stereotypes of gender. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said stigma built around traditional notions of impurity has no place in the constitutional order, and exclusion based on the notion of impurity is a form of untouchability. On freedom of religion The Supreme Court dismissed the argument that the prohibition was an essential part of religion. The Chief Justice said the inclusion of women, rather than their exclusion, is the essential part of the Hindu religion. By allowing women to enter Sabarimala temple for offering prayers, the nature of Hindu religion would not be fundamentally altered or changed in any manner. The devotees of Lord Ayyappa are exclusively Hindus and do not constitute a separate religious denomination. This temple is a public religious endowment. The right to practise religion, as claimed by the thanthris and worshippers, must be balanced with and yield to the fundamental right of women. The prohibition violated Section 3 of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Act, 1965, which stated that “places of public worship” like the Sabarimala temple should be open to “all sections and classes of Hindus.” The law recognises an idol or deity as a “juristic person which can own property and can sue and be sued in the court of law”. But it “does not mean the deity necessarily has constitutional rights”. Fundamental rights are meant for individuals, not deities or idols. Generally, the right to freedom of religion of both individuals and groups is recognised as an intrinsic facet of a liberal democracy. The Constitution memorialises these guarantees in Articles 25 and 26. The former recognises a right to freedom of conscience and a right to freely profess, practise, and propagate religion, subject to common community exceptions of public order, morality, and health, and also, crucially, to the guarantee of other fundamental rights. Article 25(2)(b) creates a further exception to the right. It accords to the state a power to make legislation, in the interests of social welfare and reform, throwing open Hindu religious institutions of public character to all classes and sections of Hindus. Article 26, on the other hand, which is also subject to limitations imposed on grounds of public order, morality, and health, accords to every religious denomination the right, among other things, to establish and maintain institutions for religious purposes and to manage their own affairs in matters of religion. Dissenting opinion Justice Indu Malhotra, the lone woman judge on the Constitution Bench, dissented with the majority opinion. She held that the determination of what constituted an essential practice in a religion should not be based on the “personal views” of judges. She held that essentiality of a religious practice or custom had to be decided within the religion. It is a matter of personal faith. India is a land of diverse faiths. Constitutional morality in a pluralistic society gives freedom to practise even irrational or illogical customs and usages. Connecting the dots: It is not the courts but the people who must restore to Indian polity its reasoned, secular character. Analyse IR TOPIC: General Studies 2: Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries Constitutional crisis in Srilanka [caption id="attachment_52829" align="aligncenter" width="321"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 18th November 2019[/caption] Src: AFP A constitutional crisis began in Sri Lanka when President Maithripala Sirisena appointed former president and member of parliament Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister October 2018 before formally dismissing the incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe, resulting in two concurrent Prime Ministers. Wickremesinghe and the United National Party (UNP) viewed the appointment as illegal, and he refused to resign. Sirisena's sudden decision instigated "political turmoil in the country", and drew international criticism Wickremesinghe, the majority of the parliament, and opposition parties refused to acknowledge his removal and the appointment of Rajapaksa, stating that Sirisena's move was unconstitutional. Wickremesinghe claimed that he still commands a majority in parliament and requested that Speaker of the Parliament Karu Jayasuriya convene parliament immediately. Sirisena ignored all calls and prorogued parliament, delaying its meeting till 16 November. After an attempt to form a new cabinet of ministers with Rajapaksa as Prime Minister failed, Sirisena attempted to dissolve parliament. The UNP declared the move unconstitutional and subsequently the Supreme Court stayed Sirisena's dissolution until December 2018, when it ruled that the move was unconstitutional and illegal. Rajapaksa backed down from claiming the office and Wickremesinghe was once again reinstated, ending the crisis after 7 weeks of political and economic turmoil. Can we call it a Constitutional crisis? Sirisena’s decisions are unlikely to pass the test of the courts since the constitution explicitly bars early dissolution of the House unless two-thirds of its members vote for it. However, events are moving at a pace that may make it impossible to restore status quo even if the court overrules the president’s decisions. Whatever be the judicial outcome, the ongoing chaos threatens to push Sri Lanka back to a state of political uncertainty that it cannot afford. Though it has been a decade since the war in the north ended, there has been limited progress on the resolution of issues that nearly split the country on ethnic lines. The sudden developments in Sri Lanka have thrown into uncertainty the few steps that the country finally took this year to address post-war issues of transitional justice and rehabilitation, which it had committed to at the UN Human Rights Council in 2015. As President, Rajapaksa had invited UN censure for not doing enough on this front. Instead, after winning the war against the LTTE in 2009, he unleashed a majoritarian triumphalism that dashed all hopes for reconciliation. Difference between the Constitution of India and Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, which had a Constitution like India’s, changed it to one more like the French Constitution, where the President chooses the Prime Minister who has to command confidence of Parliament. But there is no way to remove the President. The consequences of Sirisena’s decision go beyond a mere change of regime; it may lead to a reversal of the structural changes in the polity achieved since 2015. Conclusion South Asia has been the home of religions preaching nonviolence but its politics has been very violent. There have been regional disputes, competing nationhoods as well as communal conflicts. India has asked that democratic values and constitutional process be respected. This is due to the fact that further chaos could derail Colombo’s slow progress towards rebuilding its economy and healing the wounds of the civil war. Afterall, a peaceful neighbour is always beneficial for a country like India. Connecting the dots: Dissolution of Sri Lanka’s Parliament negates the letter and spirit of constitutional reforms. Comment (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1) What is Piezometer used for? To measure liquid pressure To measure magnitude of earthquake To measure atmospheric pressure None of the above Q.2) Consider the following statementsabout AGRIDEX It is released by NITI Aayog in collaboration with Bombay Stock Exchange It will help in easy referencing the price variations in agricultural commodities. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements In the February 2018 Budget, the government had announced a plan to merge three public sector general insurance firms The challenges identified for the merger are integration of work culture, rolling out common software, and rationalisation of branches Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements about Minimum Operating Price (MOP) Itis the price consisting of landing price, operational cost and reasonable profit margin and below which no product should be sold in the market MOP is currently being regulated by Competition Commission of India in collaboration with State governments Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Consider the following statements The fourth schedule of the constitution deals with the allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha to the states and Union territories. Under article 75(3) of the Constitution, the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 16 Nov 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 B 2 B 3 C 4 A 5 B MUST READ The return of the Rajapaksa regime The Hindu Secularism in the time of security The Hindu Quality on tap: On report of Ministry of Consumer Affairs The Hindu Back to the Rajapaksas: On Gotabaya Rajapaksa's victory The Hindu Poshan Abhiyaan promises to revive traditional food systems across the country while addressing malnutrition IE With the economic centre of gravity shifting to states, India’s growth hinges on cooperative federalism IE
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