Comprehensive Current affairs 30 July 2020

Modi stresses on boosting health infrastructure in villages.

Indian P.M Modi mentioned the need to develop new health infrastructure and boost the already existing health infrastructure facilities in the villages during the launch of three high throughput COVID-19 testing facilities yesterday.

Modi said that apart from developing the physical infrastructure, the country has also managed to swiftly ramp up human resources including paramedics, ASHA workers,Anganwadis among others. He said, as health workers, they played a significant part in controlling the spread of the pandemic.
He also spoke about the need to work on continuously attaching new and retired health professionals with the health system in order to prevent fatigue from setting in our Corona Warriors.
He forewarned people to be cautious during the celebrations of the festivals in order to keep the virus contained. He underlined that the benefits of PM GaribKalyan Anna Yojna should reach the poor on a timely basis.

He added that till the time a vaccine is not developed, people should adhere to the health guidelines following do gazdoori, wearing masks and hand sanitization.

The launch ceremony of the three high-throughput testing facilities was also attended by Indian Health Minister  Harsh Vardhan, Chief Ministers of UP, Maharashtra and West Bengal along with ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bhargava.

GOI claims India has one of the best weather service systems in the world.

Indian Health Minister Harsh Vardhan today said that Ministry of Earth Sciences is a unique organization in the world which looks holistically at all branches of Earth Science.

He said, India is the only country with a fully-dedicated ministry solely addressing all the aspects of Earth Sciences.

He added that this helps in developing an integrated approach in planning and resolving major concerns in a holistic manner with least time delay.

Harsh Vardhan was speaking at an event to celebrate the Foundation Day of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
The Ministry was formed in 2006 by a merger of the India Meteorological Department, the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the Earth Risk Evaluation Centre and the Ministry of Ocean Development.

India holds defence ministerial dialogue with Indonesia.

Defence Ministers’ Dialogue between India and Indonesia was held in New Delhi.
Indian defence Minister led the Indian delegation while the Indonesian delegation was led by their Defence Minister General Prabowo Subianto.

The dignitary is in India for strengthening the ties between the two maritime neighbours.
During the talks,Indian D.M reiterated the long history of mutually beneficial interactions between

the two countries with a tradition of close political dialogue, economic and trade linkages as well as cultural and people to people interactions.

Conveying satisfaction on the military to military interactions, the Minister indicated that the defence cooperation between India and Indonesia has witnessed an upswing in the recent years.
This is in consonance with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two sides. Both the Ministers agreed to further enhance the bilateral defence cooperation in mutually agreed areas.
Potential areas of cooperation in the field of defence industries and defence technology were also identified by the two countries.

Both the Ministers committed themselves to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in these areas and take them to the next level of deliverables.

India and Bangladesh enhances bilateral trade and connectivity further.

Indian External Affairs Minister and Railways Minister flagged off virtually to Bangladesh ten Broad Gauge locomotives in a handing over ceremony held today.

The handing over of these locomotives, under grant assistance from India fulfills an important commitment made during the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in October last year.

In keeping with the requirements of Bangladesh Railway, the locomotives have been suitably modified by the Indian side.These locomotives will help handle the increasing volume of passenger and freight train operations in Bangladesh.

Railway Minister of India underscored the significance of railway cooperation in enhancing bilateral trade and connectivity and in further boosting the economic partnership between the two countries.
In the recent times, India and Bangladesh have stepped up their rail cooperation in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as trade via land border faced disruptions.

Rail as a cost effective and environmental friendly solution, has helped in transporting essential commodities across the border. Both sides saw the highest ever exchange of freight trains in the month of June.

India asks WTO members to find permanent solution to food stockholding.

India has asked the members of WTO to constructively engage in negotiations for a permanent solution to public stockholding for food security purposes, as committed in the ministerial conferences in Bali and Nairobi.

According to statements delivered by Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the WTO, BrajendraNavnit, at the meeting of General Council of WTO on July 22-23, a permanent solution to the issue, which is simple and can be used by developing countries, would go a long way in addressing their genuine concerns relating to food security of the most vulnerable sections of the society.

Navnit said the current pandemic has shown how adversely the poor in developing countries are impacted, and developing governments have been struggling with the issues faced by the most vulnerable sections of the society, including agricultural farmers and labourers.
Further, he said India has underlined that special and differential treatment (S&DT) is a treaty embedded right at the WTO and it cannot be taken away based on certain arbitrary assumptions.

Resarch found that Covid Spike Protein changes it's form.

Recently, the researchers have found that the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 changes its form after it attaches itself to a human cell, folding in on itself and assuming a rigid hairpin shape.

Highlights:
• It protrudes from the surface of a coronavirus, like the spikes of a crown or corona.
• It initiates the process of infection in a human cell, in the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

• It attaches itself to a human enzyme (ACE2 receptor) before entering into the cell and makes multiple copies of itself.

Significance:
• The alternative shape may help keep SARS-CoV-2 from breaking down.

• The rigid shape may explain why the virus remains viable on various surfaces for various periods.

• It is speculated that the post fusion form may protect the SARS-CoV-2 from our immune system.

Pied Cuckoo.

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has recently decided to study the migration of the Pied Cuckoo Bird (Jacobin Cuckoo or Chaatak), by tagging the bird with satellite transmitters.

Highlights:
• The study will be conducted along with the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) and the Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology.

• The IIRS is a constituent unit of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is headquartered in Dehradun. It is the first study in the country that seeks to trace and observe the migratory routes of the pied cuckoo. It aims to gather data and information on
climate change and the monsoon.

• It is part of a larger project called the Indian Bioresource Information Network (IBIN) funded by the Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT), which aims to put relevant Indian bioresources information online.

About Pied Cuckoo:

•It is known for its close association with the monsoon in India.

•The Farmers have traditionally relied on the arrival of the pied cuckoo as a signal of arrival of monsoon and seed sowing.

• It is a bird with black and white plumage (pied) with a fancy crest on the head. Its scientific name is Clamator jacobinus. It is found in Africa and Asia.

• There are two types of pied cuckoos found in India. In central and northern parts of India, pied cuckoos are migratory, they are seen only from just before the monsoon to early winter.

It is believed that the pied cuckoos that come to the Himalayan foothills are from Africa.
• They have high site fidelity, that is, they come back to the same location year after year.

• Pied cuckoos are also found in southern India, but those are resident birds and not migratory. The bird is primarily arboreal, which means that it mostly lives on trees. It is a brood parasite i.e. It lays its eggs in nests that belong to other birds.

• It is one of the few species that come to India in the summer. Most other migratory species come in winter.

IUCN Status: Least Concerned.

Significance:
• The information about the migratory route can be invaluable for research on climatic variations taking place in the world, especially since the species has such a close association with the monsoon.
• It will give us information on the monsoon, changes in the monsoon and monsoon winds, erratic rainfall, seasonal fluctuations, water vapour pressure, etc.

• The extent of the effect of ecologies changing can be seen in the movement of species from a less favourable region to a more Favourable Region.

First Legislature Representative for Siddi Community.

The state government in Karnataka has nominated Shantaram Budna Siddi as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) recently.

• With the nomination, the backward Siddi community has got its first representative in the State legislature.
• Shantaram is the first graduate from the Siddi community, has been working among tribal communities in the State for the past three decades.

•There are around 50,000 Siddis, descendants of African people, in Karnataka.
• Considering their low numbers, the Siddis have never managed to get a political representative elected directly.

•They have been racially discriminated in the past and have historically not been part of mainstream society.

Siddi Community:

• Siddi Tribe in Karnataka mainly lives in Dharwad, Belagavi and Uttar Kannada districts.
• Classified under the list of Scheduled Tribes by the union government in 2003.

• The economically and socially backwards community is included in Centre’s list of Particularly Vulnerable Trial Groups (PVTGs).

• They were dependent on hunting and gathering traditionally, but at present, their main source of livelihood is labour and agriculture.

• Believed to be of African origin as they clearly show the Negroid racial strain in their physical features. Records show that Africans came to India as soldiers and as slaves.

• Many of these slaves were freed in the 18th century and it is speculated that they found their way to the jungles in today’s north-west Karnataka.

Honey Testing LabLab was inaugurated.

Indian Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare inaugurated the World Class State of Art Honey Testing Laboratory in Anand, Gujarat with support of National Bee Board.

Highlights:
•The Lab was established by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Anand with support of National Bee Board.

• It has all the facilities based on the parameters notified by FSSAI and the test methods/protocols developed, have been accredited by National Accreditation Board for
Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).

• Honey is being adulterated with high fructose corn syrup or rice, tapioca, sugarcane and beet syrup that are cheaper and resemble honey in physico-chemical properties.

• Honey Testing Laboratory will help in quality production of honey and its export to other countries.
National Bee Board:

• The National Bee Board is registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 in 2000 by Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC).

• The overall development of Beekeeping by promoting Scientific Beekeeping in India to increase the productivity of crops through pollination.

• Increase the Honey production for increasing the income of the Beekeepers/ Farmers.
National Bee Keeping and Honey Mission:

• National Beekeeping and Honey Mission is a Central Sector Scheme (100% funded by Central Govt.).
• It is aimed at overall promotion & development of scientific beekeeping and production of quality honey & other beehive products.

• National Bee Board under the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, will be a National Level Nodal Agency for Implementation of Activities.

Focus on mains.

Topic: Polity

Need for Reforms in Anti-Defection Law.

The Political Horse trading in Rajasthan has widely put to display the ineffectiveness of the Anti-Defection Law.

The Tenth Schedule of Indian Constitution is popularly known as the Anti-Defection Act. Original constitution had no such provisions. It was included in the Constitution in 1985.

The main intent of the law was to deter “the evil of political defections” by legislators motivated by the lure of office or other similar considerations.

•The grounds for disqualification under the Anti-Defection Law includes

a)      If an elected member voluntarily gives up his membership of a political party.

b)       If he votes or abstains from voting in such House contrary to any direction issued by his political party or anyone authorized to do so, without obtaining prior permission.

c)      Going against the party whip.

• As a pre-condition for his disqualification, his abstention from voting should not be condoned by his party or the authorized person within 15 days of such incident.

•Articles 102 (2) and 191 (2) deals with anti-defection.

• The law disallows MPs/ MLAs to switch parties after elections, make the members follow the whips issued by their party.

• It also applies to a nominated member if he/ she join a political party after 6 months of nomination and to an independent candidate if he/she joins a party after the election.

What is not a Defection?

• A split in a political party won’t be considered a defection if a complete political party merges with another political party.

• If a new political party is created by the elected members of one party
• If he or she or alternative members of the party haven’t accepted the merger between the two parties and opted to perform as a separate group from the time of such a merger.

What are the loop-holes?

•Resignation as MLA was not one of the conditions.

• Exploiting this loophole, the 17 rebel MLAs in Karnataka resigned, their act aimed at ending the majority of the ruling coalition and, at the same time, avoiding disqualification.
• However, the Speaker refused to accept the resignations and declared them disqualified.

This was possible as the legislation empowers the presiding officer of the House (i.e. the Speaker) to decide on complaints of defection under no time constraint.

•The law originally protected the Speaker’s decision from judicial review.

• However, this safeguard was struck down in Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu and Others (1992).
While the SC upheld the Speaker’s discretionary power, it underscored that the Speaker functioned as a tribunal under the anti-defection law, thereby making her/his decisions subject to judicial review.

• This judgment enabled judiciary to become the watchdog of the anti -defection law, instead of the Speaker, who increasingly had become a political character contrary to the expected
neutral constitutional role.

• The same could be witnessed in Shrimanth Balasaheb Patel & Ors vs. Speaker Karnataka Legislative Assembly & Ors (2019), where the three-judge SC bench upheld the then Karnataka Speaker’s decision of disqualification of the 17 rebel MLAs.

• However, it struck down his ban on the MLAs from contesting elections till 2023, negating the only possible permanent solution to the problem.

• The Supreme Court played the role of a neutral umpire in this political slugfest.
• But, the spectacle of MLAs hoarded in a bus, and being sent to a resort, openly exposed not just the absence of ideological ties between a leader and his party, but also her/his weak
moral character.

• It was also upsetting to see public acceptance of such malpractices as part of politics, with some even calling it Chanakya Niti.

Is there any safeguard for anti- defection?

• The Anti-Defection Law provided a safeguard for defections made on genuine ideological differences.
• It accepted “split” within a party if at least one-third of the members of the legislative party defect, and allowed the formation of a new party or “merger” with other political party if not less than two-thirds of the party’s members commit to it.

• he 91st Constitutional Amendment introduced in 2003 deleted the provision
allowing split.

• The 91st Amendment also barred the appointment of defectors as Ministers until their disqualification period is over or they are re-elected, whichever is earlier.

•But, obviously, such laws have not put to rest the trend of defections.

What should be done?

• The main issue, as witnessed in Karnataka, is that the defectors treat disqualification as a mere detour, before they return to the House or government by re-contesting.

This can only be stopped by extending the disqualification period from re-contesting and appointment to Chairmanships/Ministries to at least six years.

• The minimum period limit of six years is needed to ensure that the defectors are not allowed to enter the election fray for least one election cycle, which is five years.

• Of course, MLAs can still be bought from the ruling dispensation to bring it to a minority by being paid hefty sums, simply to stay at home for Six Years.

Contradictory Reforms to the Law:

• Nowadays, no real democratic discussions happen inside political parties about major issues affecting the country. Individual MPs and MLAs need to be empowered to think independently.
• Anti-defection law should be applied only to confidence and no-confidence motions (Dinesh Goswami Committee on electoral reforms, 1990) or only when the government is in danger (Law Commission (170th report, 1999).

• The rationale that a representative is elected on the basis of the party’s programme can be extended to pre-poll alliances.

• Instead of making Speaker the authority for disqualification, the decision should be made by the president or the governor on the advice of the Election Commission. This would
make the process similar to the disqualification procedure as given in Representation of Peoples Act (RPA). There can be additional penalties for defectors as well.