SC orders release on bail of journalist arrested in U.P.                                           

GDP growth overestimated during 2011-17: Arvind Subramanian                         

Delhi power min inaugurates electric vehicle charging station                              

Gujarat put on high alert as cyclonic storm ‘Vayu’ inches towards coast             

28 children die of ‘brain fever’ in Bihar                                                                      

New agency to develop space warfare weapon systems                                         

SC orders release on bail of journalist arrested in U.P.

GS PAPER - 02 POLITY - Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

Context :

• Right to liberty not negotiable, release journalist, Supreme Court tells UP govt.

• Freelance journalist Prashant Kanojia was arrested for alleged objectionable comments on Twitter against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

SC Verdict:

• The SC was acting on the petition for writ of Habeas Corpus.

• The bench observed that the arrest and remand was illegal, resulting in deprivation of personal liberty.

• The order came in a habeas corpus petition filed by Kanojia’s wife, Jagisha Arora, seeking his release.

• Liberty, as a Fundamental Right, is sacrosanct and non-negotiable. It is a Constitutional guarantee.

• The SC also clarified that its order of release on bail shouldn’t be equated with the approval of his social media posts.

                                                                                                                     Source :- The Hindu

GDP growth overestimated during 2011-17: Arvind Subramanian

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Growth, development and employment.

Context :

• Former chief economic advisor (CEA) Arvind Subramanian in his latest research paper said, India's growth between 2011-12 and 2016-17 were overestimated.

• His research paper, titled 'India’s GDP Mis-estimation: Likelihood,

• Magnitudes, Mechanisms, and Implications'

Key Highlights :

• Subramanian mentioned said methodological changes in calculating GDP have led to overestimating GDP growth by at least 2.5 per cent per year between FY12 and FY17.

• Instead of the reported growth of 6.9 per cent between 2011 and 2016, actual growth was more likely to have been between 3.5 per cent and 5.5 per cent

• He said that India may not be growing at a "guns-blazing" pace, and indicated that a more realistic approach needs to be adopted for boosting growth.

• The research paper not only questions the methodology used by Indian statisticians but also mentions that the absence of access to all disaggregated data that go into constructing GDP estimates are insufficient.

• A variety of evidence—within India and across countries—suggests that India’s GDP growth has been overstated by about 2.5 percentage points per year in the post-2011 period, with a 95 percent confidence band of 1 percentage point.

                                                                                                                                                        Source :- The Hindu

Delhi power min inaugurates electric vehicle charging station

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

Context :

• Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain has inaugurated Delhi’s first electric vehicle smart-charging station at South Extension Part 2.

Smart Charging Station :

• The tentative total cost of charging, including the cost of electricity and the overheads (parking charges, recovery of equipment cost ), is expected to be between Rs 160-Rs 200 for a full charge

• This move is in line with the previous notified solar policy and electric vehicle policy of delhi government and bolster green and sustainable initiative of Delhi government in the energy and mobility sector.

• The charging station has been set up in partnership with BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), Gensol Charge Private Limited and Techperspect.

• To find the location of the smart-charging station, vehicle owners would simply have to install and the ElectreeFi Mobile App, which will not only show them the location but also allow them to book their charging time in advance, and make online payment.

                                                                                                               Source :- The Times of India

Gujarat put on high alert as cyclonic storm ‘Vayu’ inches towards coast

GS PAPER - 01 GEOGRAPHY - Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.,

Context :

• Gujarat has been put on high alert after Cyclonic storm Vayu intensified into a severe cyclonic storm. 

More about Cyclonic storm ‘Vayu’  :

• The severe cyclonic storm Vayu developed in the Arabian Sea and is expected to make landfall on the Saurashtra coast between Porbandar and Mahuva Kutch.

• The cyclonic storm has been named Vayu by India.

• Cyclone Vayu is considered the worst cyclone to hit the State since 1998.

Why the heatwave? Blame Cyclone Vayu, El Niño

• According to meteorologists, Cyclone Vayu and El Niño are responsible for the second-longest heatwave spell that many parts of India are experiencing.

• Temperatures are soaring even as the cyclonic activity and El Niño effect has delayed the monsoon.

• The cyclones that develop in the Arabian Sea impact the monsoon more than those in the Bay of Bengal because the monsoon winds enter the Indian Peninsula from the western coast along the Arabian Sea.

• This phenomenon of delayed monsoon due to the emergence of cyclonic system was also seen in 2015 when Cyclone Ashobaa had delayed the monsoon. 

                                                                                                                                                         Source :- Down To Earth

28 children die of ‘brain fever’ in Bihar

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues related to the Health.

Context :

• At least 28 children have died in the last one month in Muzaffarpur district of north Bihar, allegedly due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), which is locally known as Chamki bukhar (brain fever).

Key facts and Data :

• High temperature during summer, along with humidity more than the normal, is considered to be an ideal situation for the outbreak of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, say doctors.

• Every year during summer time, especially in the season of luscious fruit litchi, AES outbreak gets reported and takes the lives of children in the district. which is India’s largest litchi cultivation region.

• In 2014, when altogether 90 children died in the district due to suspected AES, a research carried by the Lancet Global Health established the connection between litchi consumption and encephalitis deaths.

Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES):

• AES is characterized as acute-onset of fever and a change in mental status (mental confusion, disorientation, delirium, or coma) and/or new-onset of seizures in a person of any age at any time of the year.

• The disease most commonly affects children and young adults and can lead to considerable morbidity and mortality.

• AES has symptoms of high fever, vomiting, nausea and unconsciousness.

• Viruses are the main causative agents in AES cases, although other sources such as bacteria, fungus, parasites, spirochetes, chemicals, toxins and noninfectious agents have also been reported over the past few decades.

• Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the major cause of AES in India (ranging from 5%-35%).

• Herpes simplex virus, Influenza A virus, West Nile virus, Chandipura virus, mumps, measles, dengue, Parvovirus B4, enteroviruses, Epstein-Barr virus and scrub typhus, S.pneumoniae are the other causes of AES in sporadic and outbreak form in India.

• Nipah virus, Zika virus are also found as causative agents for AES.

                                                                                                                                                        Source :- The Hindu

New agency to develop space warfare weapon systems

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

Context :

• The Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cleared the setting up of this new agency called the Defence Space Research Agency (DSRO) which has been entrusted with the task of creating space warfare weapon systems and technologies.

Defence Space Research Agency (DSRO) :

• A senior defence scientist will be headed DSRO who will lead a team of other scientists. The agency is expected to be operational by the end of this year.

•  The organization is also charged with finding and implementing defence applications for India’s entire spectrum of space technologies.

• The agency would be provided with a team of scientists and would be working in close coordination with the tri-services integrated Defence staff officers.

•  DSRO will support to the Defence Space Agency (DSA) which comprises members of all three forces.

                                                                                                                            Source :- Business Standard

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