National Current Affairs – UPSC/IAS Exams- 30th October 2019

Chief Justice of India

Topic: Polity and Governance

In News: President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday signed a warrant to appoint Justice Sharad A. Bobde as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI).

More on the Topic:

• The Constitution of India does not have any provision for criteria and procedure for appointing the CJI. Article 124(1) of the Indian Constitution says there “shall be a Supreme Court of India consisting of a Chief Justice of India”.
• The procedure to appoint the next CJI is laid out in the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) between the government and the judiciary.
• The procedure is initiated by the Law Minister seeking the recommendation of the outgoing CJI at the ‘appropriate time’, which is near to the date of retirement of the incumbent CJI.
• The CJI sends his recommendation to the Law Ministry; and in the case of any qualms, the CJI can consult the collegium regarding the fitness of an SC judge to be elevated to the post.
• After receiving recommendation from the CJI, the law minister forwards it to the Prime Minister who then advises the President on the same.
• The President administers the oath of office to the new CJI.
• Except for the law minister seeking the recommendation from the incumbent CJI, and forwarding it to the Prime Minister, the government has no say in the appointment of the CJI.
• In the appointment of the CJI the government cannot send the recommendation of the CJI (or the collegium) back to them for reconsideration.
• In the appointment of SC judges, the government can do so. However, if the collegium reiterates those names, then the government cannot object any further.

Mains Question: The Supreme Court of India keeps a check on arbitrary power of the Parliament in amending the Constitution.’ Discuss critically.

Source: Hindu

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Topic: International Affairs

In News: Rafael Mariano Grossi of Argentina has been appointed as the new Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

More on the Topic:

• It is a United Nations’ nuclear watchdog.
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an international organization that promotes peaceful use of nuclear energy as well as inhibits the use of nuclear energy for any military purpose including nuclear weapons.
• It was established on 29 July 1957 with its headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
• It was created as an autonomous organisation through its own international treaty, the IAEA Statute.
• Even though IAEA is established independently of United Nations, it reports to both United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
• IAEA General Conference consists of representatives of all 171 Member States.

India and IAEA:

• There are at present 22 operational reactors in India, of which 14 are under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards as these use imported fuel.
• In 2017, the government sanctioned 10 new pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) and a decision on these being put under IAEA safeguards has to be taken.
• India currently imports uranium from Russia, Kazakhstan and Canada. Plans are also afoot to procure the fuel from Uzbekistan and Australia.
• By placing the reactors under the IAEA safeguards, India gives the international nuclear energy watchdog access to them. This step was taken by the country in 2014 to demonstrate that its nuclear energy programme was for peaceful purposes.

Source: Hindu

Paramahansa Yogananda

Topic: Culture

In News: The Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt Nirmala Sitaraman released a commemorative coin on Paramahansa Yogananda to mark his 125th birth anniversary on October 29, 2019.

More on the Topic:

• Paramahansa Yogananda was an Indian monk, guru and yogi who introduced millions of teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga through his organization Self-Realization Fellowship.
• In 1917, he founded the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India.
• Yogananda was born in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh in 1893. In 1920, he went to the USA as an Indian delegate to an International Congress of Religious Liberals.
• Yogananda returned to India in 1935.

Source: Hindu

15-point charter for Parliamentary reforms

Topic: Polity and Governance

In News: Amid growing concerns over deterioration in Parliamentary practices, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has unveiled a 15 point charter for political parties.

Highlights of the Charter:

• The pre and post Legislative Impact should be assessed.
• The functioning of Department related Standing Committees of Parliament should be ensured through longer tenures instead of reconstitution every year as at present.
• The recommendations to the committee should be based on academic backgrounds.
• The minimum number of sittings for both the Parliament and State Legislatures per year should be approximately prescribed.
• The law makers should abide by the rules of the house. The political parties should take responsibility be enforcing a code of conduct.
• Rules should be framed that take automatic effect against erring members in case of interruptions and disruptions.
• The political parties should ensure at least 50% attendance of the members of legislatures everyday to address the issues of lack of quorum.
• The secretariats of legislatures should publish regular reports on the attendance of members during the proceedings.
• The functioning of anti-defection law and whip system should be reviewed.

Source: Economic Times

Fire Atlas

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: Data from the Sentinel-3 World Fire Atlas have been released. Data have been recorded under the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission.

More on the Topic:

• The Sentinel-3 World Fires Atlas Prototype product has been developed by European Space Agency.
• It uses a method that enables it to identify all active fires at night.
• The sensors on satellites measure thermal infrared radiation to take the temperature of Earth’s land surfaces. This information is used to detect and monitor the heat emitted by the fires.
• The Atlas uses the satellite data to plot the number of fires occurring monthly.

Significance:

• Quantifying and monitoring fires is important for the study of climate.
• Forest fires have a significant impact on global atmospheric emissions, with biomass burning contributing to the global budgets of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide.

About Copernicus Programme:

• Copernicus is the new name for the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security programme, previously known as GMES.
• Services provided by Copernicus: land management, the marine environment, atmosphere, emergency response, security and climate change.
• Sentinel: ESA is developing a new family of satellites, called Sentinels, specifically for the operational needs of the Copernicus programme. The Sentinels will provide a unique set of observations, starting with the all-weather, day and night radar images.

Source: Hindu

Shakti-2019

Topic: Defense Cooperation

In News: Shakti-2019 will be held between India and France.

More on the Topic:

• Commenced in 2011, it is now conducted alternately in India and France.
• The 2019 edition will be held in Rajasthan.
• The joint exercise will focus on Counter Terrorism operations in backdrop of semi-desert terrain under United Nations Mandate.

Source: Hindu