National Current Affairs – UPSC/KAS Exams- 7th January 2020

Minority Educational Institutions

Topic: Polity and Governance

In News: The Supreme Court held that the state is well within its rights to introduce a regulatory regime in the “national interest” to provide minority educational institutions with well-qualified teachers in order for them to “achieve excellence in education.”

More on the Topic:

• TMA Pai Foundation case verdict states that Article 30(1) (right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice) was neither absolute nor above the law.
• There is a need to strike a “balance” between the two objectives of excellence in education and the preservation of the minorities’ right to run their educational institutions.
• The court explains how to strike a “balance” between the two objectives of excellence in education and the preservation of the minorities’ right to run their educational institutions.
• For this, the court broadly divides education into two categories – secular education and education “directly aimed at or dealing with preservation and protection of the heritage, culture, script and special characteristics of a religious or a linguistic minority.”
• When it comes to the latter, the court advocated “maximum latitude” to be given to the management to appoint teachers.
• The court reasons that only “teachers who believe in the religious ideology or in the special characteristics of the concerned minority would alone be able to imbibe in the students admitted in such educational institutions, what the minorities would like to preserve, profess and propagate.”
• However, minority institutions where the curriculum was “purely secular”, the intent must be to impart education availing the best possible teachers.

Regulations and National Interest:

• A regulation framed in the national interest must necessarily apply to all institutions regardless whether they are run by majority or minority as the essence of Article 30(1) is to ensure equal treatment between the majority and minority institutions.
• An objection can certainly be raised if an unfavorable treatment is meted out to an educational institution established and administered by minority.

Source: Hindu

Indian Data Relay Satellite System (IDRSS)

Topic: Science and Technology

In News:  India plans to ring in its own era of space-to-space tracking and communication of its space assets this year by putting up a new satellite series called the Indian Data Relay Satellite System.

More on the Topic:

• The IDRSS is planned to track and be constantly in touch with Indian satellites, in particular those in low-earth orbits which have limited coverage of earth.
• In the coming years, it will be vital to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), whose roadmap is dotted with advanced LEO missions such as space docking, space station, as well as distant expeditions to moon, Mars and Venus. It will also be useful in monitoring launches.
• The first beneficiary would be the prospective crew members of the Gaganyaan mission of 2022 who can be fully and continuously in touch with mission control throughout their travel.
• IDRSS satellites of the 2,000 kg class would be launched on the GSLV launcher to geostationary orbits around 36,000 km away.

Source: Hindu

Miyawaki method

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: Kerala will be utilizing Miyawaki method of afforestation to make the government office premises, residential complexes, school premises, and puramboke land in Kerala greener.

More on the Topic:

• The Miyawaki method, developed by a Japanese botanist after whom it is named, involves planting saplings in small areas, causing them to “fight” for resources and grow nearly 10 times quicker.
• It originated in Japan, and is now increasingly adopted in other parts of the world, including our Chennai. It has revolutionised the concept of urban afforestation by turning backyards into mini-forests.

Model Mains Question: What is social forestry? Comment on progress of social forestry in India.

Source: Hindu

One Nation One Ration Card scheme

Topic: Government Schemes

In News: Tamil Nadu governor said the State was fully equipped to implement the One Nation One Ration Card’ scheme.

More on the Topic:

• One Nation One Ration Card (RC) will ensure all beneficiaries especially migrants can access PDS across the nation from any PDS shop of their own choice.
• No poor person will be deprived of getting subsidised food grains under the food security scheme when they shift from one place to another.
• It also aims to remove the chance of anyone holding more than one ration card to avail benefits from different states.
• Significance: This will provide freedom to the beneficiaries as they will not be tied to any one PDS shop and reduce their dependence on shop owners and curtail instances of corruption.

Source: Hindu

Smog Tower

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: Delhi’s first smog tower was inaugurated recently.

More on the Topic:

• Smog towers are structures designed to work as large-scale air purifiers. They are usually fitted with multiple layers of air filters, which clean the air of pollutants as it passes through them.
• The smog tower installed at Lajpat Nagar is capable of treating 6,00,000 cubic metres of air per day and can collect more than 75 per cent of particulate matters (PM) 2.5 and 10, PTI reported. After the cleaning, the tower releases clean air.
• The filters installed in the tower will use carbon nanofibres as a major component and will be fitted along its peripheries. The tower will focus on reducing particulate matter load.
• The project is a collaboration between the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, IIT-Delhi and the University of Minnesota, the latter having helped design a similar tower of over 100 metres in China’s Xi’an city. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will also be involved with the project.

Source: Hindu

Naseem-Al-Bahr

Topic: Defence and Security

In News: Oman ships arrived in Goa to participate in “Naseem-Al-Bahr”, the Indo-Oman bilateral naval exercise.

More on the Topic:

• Due to the strategic location of Oman the naval exercise with Oman is highly important for India.
• The country is at the gateway of Strait of Hormuz through which India imports one-fifth of its oil imports. The berth rights given by Oman to Indian vessels is important for the Indian Navy to carry out anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.
• India and Oman conduct regular biennial exercises between all three services namely army, navy and air force. ”Al Najah” is the army exercise conducted between the countries. “Ex Eastern Bridge” is the Air Force exercise that is held between the countries.

Source: Hindu

Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSD)

Topic: Health

In News: The Madras High Court directed the Centre to consider providing medical care to economically poor patients suffering from the rare Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSD).

More on the Topic:

• Lysosomal storage diseases are a group of about 50 rare inherited metabolic disorders that result from defects in lysosomal function.
• Lysosomes are sacs of enzymes within cells that digest large molecules and pass the fragments on to other parts of the cell for recycling.
• This process requires several critical enzymes. If one of these enzymes is defective, because of a mutation, the large molecules accumulate within the cell, eventually killing it.
• Lysosomal storage disorders are caused by lysosomal dysfunction usually as a consequence of deficiency of a single enzyme required for the metabolism of lipids, glycoproteins (sugar-containing proteins), or so-called mucopolysaccharides. Individually, LSDs occur with incidences of less than 1:100,000; however, as a group, the incidence is about 1:5,000 – 1:10,000.

The judges pointed out that Article 21 (fundamental right to life) coupled with Article 47 (duty of the state to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health) of the Constitution makes the Centre as well as the State government obligated to provide health care to LSD patients, especially to those who were living below the poverty line and could not afford the expensive treatment.

Source: Hindu