Plea in supreme court challenging validity of minority religions. .
A
plea has been filed in the Supreme Court, seeking a transfer of all pending
petitions before various high courts challenging the validity of the Centre's
26-year-old notification declaring five communities -- Muslims, Christians,
Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsees -- as minorities.
"Denial
of minority rights to real minorities and arbitrary and irrational disbursement
of minority benefits to majority infringes upon the fundamental right to the
prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or
place of birth," the plea said.
In
his petition, the petitioner said Hindus, who are a majority community
according to national data, are a minority in several north-eastern states and
in Jammu and Kashmir.
The
definition of "minority", according to Article 29-30 of the
Constitution, has left leakages in the hands of the State, which shall be misused
and are being misused for political benefits, the petition said, adding that
the minority status be granted to Hindus in states where the number of the
community members has decreased.
The
plea has sought the minority status for Hindus in six states and two Union
territories, where the number of the community members has fallen according to
census 2011.
"Their
minority rights are being siphoned off illegally and arbitrarily to the
majority population because neither the Centre nor the state governments have
notified Hindus as a 'minority' under the National Commission for Minorities
Act. Therefore, Hindus are being deprived of their basic rights," the plea
has said.
CVC asks government organisations to bring in systemic
improvements.
The
Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has asked all government organisations to
identify and implement systemic improvements, an official statement said on
Sunday. This is among the initiatives planned by the CVC during the vigilance
awareness week that begins from Tuesday.
The
Commission has also desired that all organisations focus on internal
(housekeeping) activities which are to be taken up in campaign mode as part of
the vigilance awareness week.
This
includes improvement of internal processes, time bound disposal of work and
systemic improvements leveraging technology, the statement issued by the
personnel ministry said.
Indian International Science Festival 2020.
Recently,
the 6th edition of the India International Science Festival (IISF) will be held
virtually in 2020. The 5th edition was held in Kolkata in 2019.
Highlights:
•
It is a festival to celebrate the achievements of India’s scientific and
technological advancements with students, innovators, craftsmen, farmers,
scientists and technocrats from India and abroad.
•
It was launched in 2015 to promote Science and Technology and demonstrate how
science could lead India towards a developed nation within a short span of
time.
•
It aim to engage the public with science and celebrate the joy of science and
show the ways how science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
provide solutions to improve people's lives.
•
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will spearhead the
IISF 2020 with support of all other concerned ministries and departments. CSIR
is funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
About Vijnana Bharati:
•
Swadeshi Science Movement is started in Indian Institute of Science- Bengaluru
by a few eminent scientists under the guidance of Prof. K I Vasu.
•
This movement gradually gained momentum and emerged as an organization with
national presence.
•
It is decided to launch the Swadeshi Science Movement at all India Level and
named it Vijnana Bharati.
•
It’s one of the objectives is to motivate young scientists towards greater
creativity and originality.
•
It is headquartered in New Delhi.
Indigenous Software Solution for Vessel Traffic Services.
Minister
of State for Shipping launches indigenous software solutions Vessel Traffic
Services (VTS) and Vessels Traffic Monitoring Systems (VTMS).
VTS and VTMS:
•
VTS and VTMS is a software which determines vessel positions, position of other
traffic or meteorological hazard warnings and extensive management of traffic
within a port or waterway.
•
Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) contribute to the safety of life at sea, safety
and efficiency of navigation and protection of the marine environment, adjacent
shore areas, worksites and offshore installations from possible adverse effects
of maritime traffic.
•
Traffic flow in busy approach routes, access channels, and harbours can be
coordinated safely, in the best interest of port and its users.
•
Incidents and emergency situations can be dealt with quickly.
•
Data from traffic movements can be stored and used as reference information for
port administration, port authorities, coastguards and search and Rescue
Services.
•
VTMS is mandatory under the IMO Convention SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea).
•
The VTMS traffic image is compiled and collected by means of advanced sensors
such as radar, AIS, direction finding, CCTV and VHF or other co-operative
systems and services.
•
A modern VTMS integrates all of the information into a single operator working
environment for ease of use and in order to allow for effective traffic
organization and communication.
•
Presently, India has approximately 15 VTS systems operational along the Indian
Coast and there is no uniformity of VTS software as each system has its own VTS
software.
•
Development of the indigenous VTS software will reduce the expenditure of
foreign exchange on this issue and also minimize the dependence on foreign
support for VTS software. Accordingly, indigenous development of VTS software
will benefit with respect to:
✓ Saving of foreign
exchange for various VTSs in India.
✓ VTS Software can be
provided to Indian trade-friendly nations viz. Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar,
Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Bangladesh and Gulf countries.
✓ Will also minimize the
cost for future upgradations of software.
✓ Shall be easier to
interconnect with MIS/ERP software of ports.
Indian International Science Festival 2020.
Sixth
edition of the India International Science Festival (IISF) is going to be held
virtually in 2020. The 5th edition was held in Kolkata in 2019.
Highlights:
•
It is a festival to celebrate the achievements of India’s scientific and
technological advancements with students, innovators, craftsmen, farmers,
scientists and technocrats from India and abroad.
•
It was launched in 2015 to promote Science and Technology and demonstrate how
science could lead India towards a developed nation within a short span of
time.
•
It aim to engage the public with science and celebrate the joy of science and
show the ways how science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
provide solutions to improve people's lives.
•
The Organising Agencies are Ministry of Science & Technology and Ministry
of Earth
Sciences
in association with Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA) organise IISF every year.
•
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will spearhead the
IISF 2020 with support of all other concerned ministries and departments. CSIR
is funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
About Vijnana Bharati:
•
Swadeshi Science Movement is started in Indian Institute of Science- Bengaluru
by a few eminent scientists under the guidance of Prof. K I Vasu.
•
This movement gradually gained momentum and emerged as an organization with
national presence.
• It is decided to launch the Swadeshi Science Movement at all India Level and named it Vijnana Bharati.
•
It’s one of the objectives is to motivate young scientists towards greater
creativity and originality.
•
It is headquartered in New Delhi.
Bangladesh brings in no mask no service policy.
The
Bangladesh government has decided that no service will be provided to people
who don’t wear masks. The cabinet meeting Chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina decided that no one will be allowed to enter offices without the mask.
It
decided that all offices must install notice boards saying ‘no mask, no
service’ in order to control the spread of COVID 19 virus in the country.
Briefing
media after the Cabinet meeting in Dhaka, the Cabinet Secretary KhandakerAnwarul
Islam said, people at all public and private offices, social institutions,
haat-bazars, shopping malls, other establishments, educational institutions,
mosques or other places of worship throughout the country must use mask in view
of the coronavirus pandemic.
Involving
community leaders in the campaign to wear masks, the Cabinet Secretary said
that the government has also talked to the Islamic scholars and religious
leaders to publicise this at all mosques through the Imam.
U.S allies welcomes Israel-Sudan deal.
Sudan
and Israel agreed on Friday to normalise relations, in a U.S.-brokered deal to
end decades of hostility that was widely welcomed but stirred Palestinian
anger.
The
announcement makes Sudan, technically at war with Israel since its 1948
foundation, the third Arab country to forge diplomatic relations with the
Jewish state in the last two months.
Meanwhile,
Palestinian leaders strongly condemned the deal, echoing their rejection of
Israel’s normalisation accords with the UAE and Bahrain signed in Washington
last month.
“The
State of Palestine expressed today its condemnation and rejection of the deal
to normalise ties with the Israeli occupation country which usurps Palestinian
land,” president Mahmoud Abbas’s office said in a statement.
SEBI chairman sees positive recovery across capital
markets.
Securities
and Exchange Board of India Chairman Ajay Tyagi has said that recovery is being
seen in capital markets, across the board.
Virtually
addressing the CII Financial Markets Summit, Mr.Tyagisaid, not just large-caps
and heavyweight stocks but midcap and smallcap stocks have recovered.
He
said, the regulator’s timely decisions to contain volatility during the
pandemic helped the markets, adding that the board will continue to remain vigilant
to all eventualities.
The
SEBI Chief further informed that more than 3.8 crore rupees have been raised in
debt markets, a 25 per cent rise as compared to last year.
Mr.Tyagi
added that almost 90 per cent of NSE stocks have yielded positive returns this
year. He also dwelt upon making the corporate bond market more robust and
strengthening the Investor Protection Fund.
Government imposes stock limit to check onion price rise.
The Government has said it has taken steps to moderate prices and availability of onion in the country. Briefing media in New Delhi, Consumer Affairs Secretary LeelaNandan said, a stock limit has been imposed on the onions with effect from today which is 25 Metric Tonnes for Wholesalers and 2 Metric Tonnes for Retailers for a period up to 31st December 2020.
She
added, in order to moderate the price rise, the government took a pre-emptive
step by announcing a ban on onion export on the 14th of last month so as to
ensure availability to domestic consumers at reasonable rates, before the
expected arrival of Kharif onion.
The
Secretary said, the retail price rise has moderated to some extent, but recent
reports of heavy rainfall in the onion growing districts of Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have created concerns about damage
to Kharif crop.
She
said, the developments on the weather front have contributed to the sharp
increase in onion prices. Ms Nandan said, to tide over the present situation,
the government has stepped up disposal of onions through the built up buffer
stock of one Lakh Metric Tonne from the Rabi onion-2020.
Scientists create superconductivity at room temperature.
.
Starting
from hydrogen sulphide, infamous for its rotten-egg smell, a group of
researchers at University of Rochester, Intel corporation and University of
Nevada in the U.S. have created a material that is superconducting at 15
degrees Celsius. That is, it shows zero resistance to the flow of electricity
through it.
•
Such a material would have hitherto unheard of applications from power supplies
to quantum computers. The only caveat is that it needs ultrahigh pressure of
about 2 million atmospheres to achieve this transition, putting off any
thoughts of application to the future. The research, published in Nature, has
sparked off animated discussions in the world of physics.
•
In 2015, a breakthrough happened when a group led by M.I. Eremets managed to
apply pressure on hydrogen sulphide and get a superconductor at 200 kelvin
(minus 73 degrees Celsius). Prof. Baskaran adds, “It was followed by
superconductivity in few more hydride superconductors. Until recently, the
record holder was Lanthanum superhydride (LaH10). Its Tc is about 250 K, which
is room temperatures in polar regions!”.
•
They achieved this by squeezing a tiny volume of the substance between the jaws
of a diamond anvil. “We have broken many diamonds. It’s very challenging to
keep this material to very high pressure because of the hydrogen diffusion,” he
reveals.
Focus on Mains Exam:
Clearance to Kaleshwaram project Given in Violation of
law.
The
National Green Tribunal (NGT) has held that environmental clearance (EC) to
Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) was granted ex post facto, after
completion of substantial work, by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and
Climate Change (MoEFCC) “in violation of law”.
• It has observed that accountability needs to be fixed and remedial measures be taken. For that purpose, it has directed the MoEFCC to constitute a seven-member expert committee preferably out of expert appraisal committee (EAC) members with relevant sectorial expertise to go into the matter in light of the observations in the present case.
•
In the judgment, the Principal Bench of NGT asked the Ministry to constitute
the expert committee within a month and it may complete its exercise within six
months thereafter shouldering the responsibility of monitoring the panel work
to the Secretary of MOEFCC.
•
The petitioner moved the NGT with a contention declare the EC granted to KLIP
as invalid since substantial work was done by the State Government, project
proponent, prior to filing application with the Ministry for clearance.
About the Project:
•
The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme of Telangana is a multi-purpose
irrigation project on the Godavari River in Kaleshwaram, Bhupalpally,
Telangana.
•
Originally called Pranahita-Chevella project in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, it
was redesigned, extended and renamed as Kaleshwaram project in Telangana in
2014.
•
It would bring drinking water and irrigation to the backward areas of
Telangana.
•
It will also help to restore the ground water level to its original state by
the way of shifting from usage of groundwater for irrigation to usage of
surface water.
•
The project will also support Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha schemes
designed to provide drinking water to many villages and improve the capacities
of tanks.
•
Mission Kakatiya: It is a flagship programme launched by the Government of
Telangana which aims at rejuvenation of water tanks and other water storage
structures to provide assistance and help to the small and marginal farmers of
the state.
•
Mission Bhagiratha: It is a project for safe drinking water for every village
and city household in Telangana State. It aims to provide piped water to 2.32
crore people in 20 lakh households in urban and 60 lakhs in rural areas of
Telangana. The project will supply clean drinking water to all households in
the state through water sourced from River Godavari and River Krishna.
Observations by NGT:
•
Inspite of finding illegality in granting EC, it is neither possible nor
desirable to undo what has happened, but accountability needs to be fixed and
Remedial Measures Taken.
•
The NGT Principal Bench suggested that the expert committee could assess the
extent of damage caused in going ahead with the project without EC – the period
from 2008 to 2017 — and identify the necessary Restoration Measures.
•
Further, it could look into relief and rehabilitation measures adopted and
required to be further adopted, examine effective implementation of
environmental management plan (EMP) submitted by the project proponent as also
compliance of EC conditions.
• Any affected party will be at liberty to make representation to the MoEFCC within three weeks along with suggestions and grievances, which may be taken into the account by the expert committee.
•
It has further asked MoEFCC to consider measures to prevent recurrence of such
violations where EC is sought ex post facto.
Way Forward:
•
It is particularly required when the projects are multi-purpose and part of it
requires EC, so that such requirement is not defeated on specious plea that the
project was partly not covered by the schedule Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) Notification as has happened in the present case.
•
Instead of confining consideration merely to documentary support, a mechanism
is required to be evolved and followed whereby physical verification of
material particulars can be undertaken, wherever necessary.
•
In the matter of expansion of the project scope to draw 3 tmcft of water a day
from the present 2 tmcft, the NGT observed that directions of the Centre are
binding on the State unless challenged and set aside.
Hyderabad Floods.
Hyderabad
was recently listed as the rainiest place in the country by Skymet, an
independent weather forecasting agency, after it recorded 72.5mm of rainfall.
Rainfall this Month:
•
The city has witnessed its third wettest day of October in the last 10 years -
As per India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, Hyderabad witnessed 98.3mm
rainfall on October 10, 2013 and 82.6mm on October 3, 2017.
What caused this Havoc?
•
This was caused by a weather that formed in the Bay of Bengal, hit the east
coast and moved westward, weakening on the way.
•
Normally, cyclones lose steam upon making their landfall. This particular
system, however, clocked a long east-west track cutting across Andhra Pradesh,
Telangana, north-interior Karnataka and Maharashtra.
•
All these states experienced above-normal rain during the recent monsoon
season. As a result, the soil in these regions has retained significant
moisture content.
•
In addition, vertical wind shear — the result of a significant difference in
wind speed between higher and lower atmospheric levels — helped the system
maintain its intensity as a deep depression or a well-marked low Pressure area
even on land.
But, why Floods occur in Hyderabad?
•
Hyderabad is a System of Catchments.
✓ The western edge is in
the Godavari river basin.
✓ To the east, it’s in
the Krishna River basin.
✓ Also, Hyderabad is in
the Deccan region, which has a chaotic drainage pattern — water here does not
flow in a single direction as the slope is in multiple directions.
What
Efforts were made in the Past to Control Floods?
•
In 1908, devastation caused by a cloud burst and the flooding claimed 15,000
lives and rendered 80,000 homeless.
✓ Two reservoirs —
Osmansagar and Himayatsagar — came up.
✓ A modern system of
drainage was also built.
What has not been Addressed?
•
The city has been built on top of the agrarian imprint. Sensitive catchment
areas have been illegally occupied.
•
Roads have been Built, which are rigid boundaries, around the ‘fluid’ water
bodies, without any buffer areas.
•
Unchecked real Estate Growth.
What Needs to be done now?
•
Take stock of the entire drainage system, not just the nalas.
•
See the whole city as a catchment area and begin to clear critical areas of
encroachments.
•
For all this to be implemented, we need an executive and ‘ecological’ body like
a “Lakes and Parks Authority”, can draw upon and coordinate the relevant parts
of the functions at Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA),
Greater Hyderabad Municipal
Corporation
(GHMC) and departments like revenue, irrigation, roads and buildings.
•
Risk mapping of the areas of the city should be done to assess the
vulnerability, related to urban floods, using GIS technology.
•
Town Planning department of GHMC should regularly monitor the prohibited areas
to Prevent Encroachments.
•
Conserve and protect areas for Groundwater Recharge.
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