All modules getting ready for Chandrayaan-2 launch

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievement of Indians in science & technology;

Context :

India's much-delayed second moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, finally got a launch window and is scheduled to take off between July 9 to 16 this year .

Chandrayaan - 2 :

Chandrayaan-2, India's second mission to the Moon is a totally indigenous mission comprising of an Orbiter, Lander and Rover.
The Orbiter and Lander modules will be interfaced mechanically and stacked together as an integrated module and accommodated inside the GSLV MK-III launch vehicle.
The Rover is housed inside the Lander. After launch into earth bound orbit by GSLV MK-III, the integrated module will reach Moon orbit using Orbiter propulsion module.
Subsequently, Lander will separate from the Orbiter and soft land at the predetermined site close to lunar South Pole.
Further, the Rover will roll out for carrying out scientific experiments on the lunar surface. Instruments are also mounted on Lander and Orbiter for carrying out scientific experiments.
If the Chandrayaan-2 mission becomes successful, it will become the second mission ever to land a rover near the lunar south pole and India would become the fourth nation to have achieved this feat after the US, Russia and China.

Source :- PIB

Workshop on “Space Warfare and Technology”

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Awareness in the field of Space.

Context :

Directorate of Indian Defence University (IDU) is organizing a two day workshop on “Space Warfare and Technology” for senior and middle level officers from the three Services.

Objective of Workshop :

Weaponization and Militarisation of Space
Preparation for Absorption of High-End Technology for Self-Sustenance in Space Operations
Space Innovations and Technology Exploitation
Inertial Navigation Systems and Sensors
Legal aspects of military use of space
Building Capacity – Training, Human Resource and Research & Development
Adversarial Capability in Space Domain & Way Forward for Indian Armed Forces

Significance :

This workshop is relevant especially in light of Defence Space Agency being raised and three Services energising their own capabilities.
It is to be seen as to how the Defence Space Agency will fit in the entire gamut of space domain utilisation in our country and efficiently perform its role for which it is being raised.

Source :- PIB

Indian and French Navies conduct Varuna 19.1

GS PAPER- 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests

Context :

The first part of the Indo-French joint naval exercise, Varuna 19.1 will be conducted off the Goa coast from 1st to 10th May 19.

Varuna - Naval exercise :

The exercise will be conducted in two phases:
The harbour phase at Goa would include cross-visits, professional interactions and discussions and sports events.
The sea phase would comprise various exercises across the spectrum of maritime operations.
The second part of Varuna is scheduled to be held at the end of May in Djibouti.

Objective :

The Varuna exercise aims at developing interoperability between the two navies and fostering mutual cooperation by learning from each other's best practices to conduct joint operations.
The exercise underscores the shared interests and commitment of both nations in promoting maritime security.

Background :

The bilateral naval exercise initiated in 1983 and christened as 'Varuna' in 2001, form a vital part of the India-French strategic partnership.
Having grown in scope and complexity over the years, this exercise exemplifies the strong relations between the two nations, in line with the Joint Strategic Vision of India-French Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region

Source :- PIB

ICAT - A World Class Automotive Testing Centre

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Context :

The automotive industry is the sunshine industry in India contributing to over 7.5% to country’s GDP. Government of India has huge focus to facilitate and grow this industry.

ICAT :

International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) Manesar is a division of NATRIP Implementation Society (NATIS) under the Department of Heavy Industries, India.
Creation of new automotive test centres in the country under NATRIP project, is an important step forward by the Government to support the need of the automotive industry in the backdrop of tightening regulatory framework and technology shift driven by market forces.
ICAT is an important element of the automotive sector, with its world-class infrastructure and domain expertise providing services in development, testing, validation and homologation.
The International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT), Manesar, is a leading world class automotive testing, certification and R&D service provider
ICAT continues its endeavour towards knowledge sharing and dissemination, through seminars and events, on important topics like Power Train, Emission, HEV and EV technology, NVH, Crash, Lighting, Inspection & Certification and Fatigue.
ICAT intends to eventually transform it into an automotive product development centre.

Source :- PIB

UN Security Council designates Masood Azhar as global terrorist

GS PAPER - 03 SECURITY - Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.

Context :

Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar was listed as a designated terrorist by the UN Security Council 1267 Committee.
The proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council was moved by France, UK and the US on February 27.

Reasons for listing:

His support for the JeM since its founding
Being associated with the al-Qaeda by recruiting for them and “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities or supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material”.
It also pointed to his role in recruiting fighters in Afghanistan.
The JeM itself was sanctioned by the 1267 Committee in 2001.
However, the reasons for listing did not mention the Pulwama attack of February 14, for which the JeM had claimed responsibility, and which found mention in the latest (February 27) listing request for Azhar.

UN Sanctions Committee :

The Sanctions Committee of the UN Nations Security Council was established under Resolution 1267 in 1999, which imposed limited sanctions on the Taliban.
Over time, the sanctions regime has evolved to include a lot of measures against designated individuals and entities.
The sanctions committee also oversees the implementation of the sanctions measures and reports annually to the Security Council on the implementation of these measures.

What happens when the committee designates someone as a global terrorist?

Asset freeze : All member states of the United National are required to freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entities.
Travel ban : All member states are required to prevent the entry into or transit through their territories by designated individuals.
Arms embargo : All member states are required to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale and transfer from their territories or by their nationals outside their territories, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related materiel of all types, spare parts, and technical advice, assistance, or training related to military activities, to designated individuals and entities.

Source :- The Hindu; Economic Times

SC reserves verdict on changes to SC/ST law

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections

Context :

The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on a batch of petitions challenging the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act of 2018.
The amendment had nullified the controversial March 20 Supreme Court judgment.

Background :

In March 2018, Supreme Court diluted the stringent provisions of SC/ST Act (Subhash Kashinath Mahajan v. State of Maharashtra).
The verdict saw a huge backlash across the country. The government filed a review petition in the Supreme Court and subsequently amended the 1989 Act back to its original form.
Following this, several petitions were filed challenging the amendments.

SC Verdict on SC/ST Act- March 20, 2018 :

On March 20, 2018, the apex court had taken note of the rampant misuse of the stringent SC/ST Act against government servants and private individuals and said there would be no immediate arrest on any complaint filed under the law.
The top court had said that on "several occasions", innocent citizens were being termed as accused and public servants deterred from performing their duties, which was never the intention of the legislature while enacting the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The court had said that there is no absolute bar against grant of anticipatory bail in cases under the Atrocities Act, if no prima facie case is made out or where the complaint is found to be prima facie mala fide.
It had said that in view of the acknowledged abuse of law of arrest in cases under the Atrocities Act, arrest of a public servant can only be after approval of the appointing authority and of a non-public servant after approval by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP).

Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act - 2018:

The Parliament on August 9, 2018 passed the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill 2018, which restores the original provisions to prevent atrocities against the SCs/STs.

Key Features :

It states that the investigating officer will not require the approval of any authority for the arrest of an accused.
A preliminary enquiry will not be required for the registration of a First Information Report against a person accused under the Act.
The SC/ST Act 1989 states that persons accused of committing an offence under the Act cannot apply for anticipatory bail. It seeks to clarify that this provision will apply despite any judgements or orders of a court that provide otherwise.
It restores the original provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The Act prohibits the commission of offences against members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SCs and STs) and establishes special courts for the trial of such offences and the rehabilitation of victims.

Source :- Business Standard

Religious freedom on the decline in India: U.S. panel

GS PAPER - 01 SOCIETY - Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.

Context:

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)released its 20th Annual Report documenting country conditions in, and analyzing and recommending U. S. policy initiatives toward, the world’s worst violators of religious freedom.

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Report :

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), in its 2019 report, has said that there is an overall deterioration of religious freedom conditions in 2018 in India.
USCIRF has placed India in the Tier 2 country category
- Tier 2 countries are those in which violations engaged in or tolerated by the government during 2018 are serious and characterized by at least one of the elements of the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) standard.
The report has identified several limitations to the right to freedom of religion or belief and challenges faced by religious minorities in India. It has identified a number of extremist groups who are responsible for an organised campaign of alienation against non-Hindus or low-caste Hindus.
It has also stated that anti-conversion and anti-cow slaughter laws are predominately used to discriminate against religious minorities. It has also raised concerns over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.
On a positive note, it has highlighted that that communal attacks dropped by 12 % in 2018 from their 2017 levels. Further, there has been a 12% increase in the budget of the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) :

USCIRF, as an independent, bi-partisan commission, advises the President, Congress and the Secretary of State on international religious freedom issues.
In its Annual Report, USCIRF unflinchingly describes threats to religious freedom around the world and recommends to the State Department countries for designation as “countries of particular concern” (CPCs) for engaging in or tolerating “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations.”
USCIRF also recommends to the State Department that non-state actors cited for similarly severe violations be designated as “entities of particular concern” (EPCs).

Source :- The Hindu

India’s Rare Life-Sized Stucco Sculpture unearthed in Telangana.

GS PAPER - 01 CULTURE - Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

Context :

Indian archaeologists recently unearthed a rare life-sized stucco sculpture from a Buddhist site at Phanigiri in Suryapet, Telangana.

Largest Stucco:

It is the biggest stucco sculpture found so far in India. It is about 1.73 metres in height and 35 cm in width.
It represents a Bodhisattva in Jataka Chakra.
It was created nearly 1,700 years ago by craftsmen at Phanigiri at peak of Ikshvaku dynasty.

Stucco :

It is a material made from aggregates, binder, and water. It is applied wet and hardens into a very dense solid.
Traditional stucco is made of sand, water and lime while Modern stucco is made of sand, water and Portland cement. To increase permeability and workability of modern stucco, Lime is added to it.
It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture.

Other Findings :

Apart from the life-sized stucco, these excavations brought to light a Mahastupa, apsidal chaitya grihas, votive stupas, pillared congregation halls, viharas, platforms with staircases at various levels, sculptural panels with Brahmi inscriptions, belonging to Satavahana period from first century BC, continued with Mahayana till the end of Ikshvaku period and others in third-fourth century AD.

Bodhisattva :

A bodhisattva is a Buddhist deity who has attained the highest level of enlightenment, but who delays their entry into Paradise in order to help the earthbound.
The bodhisattva, known in Sanskrit as Avalokiteśvara, takes both male and female form and is associated with the qualities of mercy and compassion

Ikshvaku Dynasty :

As per Puranic literature, it was founded by king Ikshvaku.
It is also known as Sūryavaṁśa (the Solar dynasty).
Important Personalities belonging to this dynasty includes: Lord Rama, Twenty-two out of twenty-four Jain Tirthankara, and according to Buddhist texts, Prince Siddhartha also belonged to this dynasty.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd MAY 2019 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

All modules getting ready for Chandrayaan-2 launch

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievement of Indians in science & technology;

Context :

India's much-delayed second moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, finally got a launch window and is scheduled to take off between July 9 to 16 this year .

Chandrayaan - 2 :

Chandrayaan-2, India's second mission to the Moon is a totally indigenous mission comprising of an Orbiter, Lander and Rover.

The Orbiter and Lander modules will be interfaced mechanically and stacked together as an integrated module and accommodated inside the GSLV MK-III launch vehicle.

The Rover is housed inside the Lander. After launch into earth bound orbit by GSLV MK-III, the integrated module will reach Moon orbit using Orbiter propulsion module.

Subsequently, Lander will separate from the Orbiter and soft land at the predetermined site close to lunar South Pole.

Further, the Rover will roll out for carrying out scientific experiments on the lunar surface. Instruments are also mounted on Lander and Orbiter for carrying out scientific experiments.

If the Chandrayaan-2 mission becomes successful, it will become the second mission ever to land a rover near the lunar south pole and India would become the fourth nation to have achieved this feat after the US, Russia and China.

Source :- PIB

Workshop on “Space Warfare and Technology”

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Awareness in the field of Space.

Context :

Directorate of Indian Defence University (IDU) is organizing a two day workshop on “Space Warfare and Technology” for senior and middle level officers from the three Services.

Objective of Workshop :

Weaponization and Militarisation of Space

Preparation for Absorption of High-End Technology for Self-Sustenance in Space Operations

Space Innovations and Technology Exploitation

Inertial Navigation Systems and Sensors

Legal aspects of military use of space

Building Capacity – Training, Human Resource and Research & Development

Adversarial Capability in Space Domain & Way Forward for Indian Armed Forces

Significance :

This workshop is relevant especially in light of Defence Space Agency being raised and three Services energising their own capabilities.

It is to be seen as to how the Defence Space Agency will fit in the entire gamut of space domain utilisation in our country and efficiently perform its role for which it is being raised.

Source :- PIB

Indian and French Navies conduct Varuna 19.1

GS PAPER- 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests

Context :

The first part of the Indo-French joint naval exercise, Varuna 19.1 will be conducted off the Goa coast from 1st to 10th May 19.

Varuna - Naval exercise :

The exercise will be conducted in two phases:

The harbour phase at Goa would include cross-visits, professional interactions and discussions and sports events.

The sea phase would comprise various exercises across the spectrum of maritime operations.

The second part of Varuna is scheduled to be held at the end of May in Djibouti.

Objective :

The Varuna exercise aims at developing interoperability between the two navies and fostering mutual cooperation by learning from each other's best practices to conduct joint operations.

The exercise underscores the shared interests and commitment of both nations in promoting maritime security.

Background :

The bilateral naval exercise initiated in 1983 and christened as 'Varuna' in 2001, form a vital part of the India-French strategic partnership.

Having grown in scope and complexity over the years, this exercise exemplifies the strong relations between the two nations, in line with the Joint Strategic Vision of India-French Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region

Source :- PIB

ICAT - A World Class Automotive Testing Centre

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Context :

The automotive industry is the sunshine industry in India contributing to over 7.5% to country’s GDP. Government of India has huge focus to facilitate and grow this industry.

ICAT :

International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) Manesar is a division of NATRIP Implementation Society (NATIS) under the Department of Heavy Industries, India.

Creation of new automotive test centres in the country under NATRIP project, is an important step forward by the Government to support the need of the automotive industry in the backdrop of tightening regulatory framework and technology shift driven by market forces.

ICAT is an important element of the automotive sector, with its world-class infrastructure and domain expertise providing services in development, testing, validation and homologation.

The International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT), Manesar, is a leading world class automotive testing, certification and R&D service provider

ICAT continues its endeavour towards knowledge sharing and dissemination, through seminars and events, on important topics like Power Train, Emission, HEV and EV technology, NVH, Crash, Lighting, Inspection & Certification and Fatigue.

ICAT intends to eventually transform it into an automotive product development centre.

Source :- PIB

UN Security Council designates Masood Azhar as global terrorist

GS PAPER - 03 SECURITY - Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.

Context :

Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar was listed as a designated terrorist by the UN Security Council 1267 Committee.

The proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council was moved by France, UK and the US on February 27.

Reasons for listing:

His support for the JeM since its founding

Being associated with the al-Qaeda by recruiting for them and “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities or supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material”.

It also pointed to his role in recruiting fighters in Afghanistan.

The JeM itself was sanctioned by the 1267 Committee in 2001.

However, the reasons for listing did not mention the Pulwama attack of February 14, for which the JeM had claimed responsibility, and which found mention in the latest (February 27) listing request for Azhar.

UN Sanctions Committee :

The Sanctions Committee of the UN Nations Security Council was established under Resolution 1267 in 1999, which imposed limited sanctions on the Taliban.

Over time, the sanctions regime has evolved to include a lot of measures against designated individuals and entities.

The sanctions committee also oversees the implementation of the sanctions measures and reports annually to the Security Council on the implementation of these measures.

What happens when the committee designates someone as a global terrorist?

Asset freeze : All member states of the United National are required to freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entities.

Travel ban : All member states are required to prevent the entry into or transit through their territories by designated individuals.

Source :- The Hindu; Economic Times

SC reserves verdict on changes to SC/ST law

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections

Context :

The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on a batch of petitions challenging the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act of 2018.