Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 27 September 2018

::NATIONAL::

Supreme courtupheldsAadhar as a reasonable restriction upon individual rights
The Supreme Court, in a majority opinion on Wednesday, upheld Aadhaar as a reasonable restriction on individual privacy that fulfils the government’s “legitimate aim” to provide dignity to a large, marginalised population living in abject poverty.
The majority view by Chief Justice of India DipakMisra and Justices A.K. Sikri and A.M. Khanwilkar declared Aadhaar a “document of empowerment.” An “unparalleled” identity proof. A document that cannot be duplicated unlike PAN, ration card, and passport.
Justice Sikri said technology had become a vital tool for ensuring good governance in a social welfare state. Schemes like PDS, scholarships, mid-day meals, LPG subsidies, involve a huge amount of money and “fool-proof” Aadhaar helped welfare reach the poor.
Upholding the passage of the Aadhaar Act as a Money Bill, the Supreme Court said neither were individuals profiled nor their movements traced when Aadhaar was used to avail government benefits under Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act of 2016. The statute only sought “minimal” biometric information, and this did not amount to invasion of privacy.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday held this portion, which gives a free hand to private entities to demand Aadhaar from individuals, unconstitutional.It said a mere contract between a private entity and an individual was not enough to demand Aadhaar from the latter.
This provision had offered statutory support to mobile companies and private service providers to seek individuals’ Aadhaar card for identification purposes.

Supreme Court says govt. need not produce ‘quantifiable data’ of backwardness to bring in promotion of SC/ST’s

A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday modified a 2006 judgment requiring the State to show quantifiable data to prove the “backwardness” of a Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe community in order to provide quota in promotion in public employment.
The 58-page judgment by a five-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India DipakMisra gives a huge fillip for the government’s efforts to provide “accelerated promotion with consequential seniority” for Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) members in government services.
Justice Nariman pointed out that the Presidential List for Scheduled Castes contains only those castes or groups or parts as “untouchables.” Similarly, the Presidential List of Scheduled Tribes only refers to those tribes in remote backward areas who are socially extremely backward.
“The whole object of reservation is to see that backward classes of citizens move forward so that they may march hand in hand with other citizens of India on an equal basis. This will not be possible if only the creamy layer within that class bag all the coveted jobs in the public sector and perpetuate themselves, leaving the rest of the class as backward as they always were,” Justice Nariman said and upheld Nagaraj’s direction that creamy layer applied to SC/ST in promotions
“It is only those persons within that group or sub-group, who have come out of untouchability or backwardness by virtue of belonging to the creamy layer, who are excluded from the benefit of reservation,” Justice Nariman wrote.

::ECONOMY::

New telecom policy to bring broadband access to all citizens by 2022

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the new telecom policy that aims to provide broadband access to every citizen at 50 Mbps speed by the year 2022.
The National Digital Communications Policy 2018, which envisions attracting $100 billion investments into the country’s digital communications sector, aims at creating at least 40 lakh new jobs in the sector in the next four years.
The policy aims at expanding the IoT ecosystem to five billion connected devices, create globally recognised IPRs in India and create a fund for R&D in new technologies. It also pitches for leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Big Data to enhance the quality of services offered, spectrum management and network security while also establishing India as a global hub for cloud computing.
Welcoming the much-awaited policy, the industry called for a close monitoring of its timely implementation “so that the industry can recuperate from the deepening financial stress.” “Thus, the most important and urgent requirement is to restore the financial health of the sector for which the policy document envisages the reduction in levies and ease of doing business.
The policy has called for a review of levies and fees — including licence fee, universal service obligation fund levy and spectrum usage charges, on the sector. This is expected to help the debt-laden telecom sector. However, the government may take up to a year to decide on these issues the Minister said in response to a query.

Agmark certification process becomes online

Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare ShriRadha Mohan Singh today launched the online software for Agmark. On this occasion he said that fulfilling Prime Minister’s Digital India dream and following its footsteps, the application processes related to Agmark certification are being done online by the Directorate of Marketing & Inspection (DMI). The process of application will be simple, quick, transparent and 24x7.
He informed that the Agmark online system is being implemented across the country to conduct quality control functions. Through the Agmark online system, certificate of authorisation (domestic), permission of printing press, permission of laboratories (domestic) and services related to laboratory information management system will be provided online.
Shri Singh said that the existing procedures for Agmark certification were in physical form and time consuming. The use of modern technologies by the National Informatics Center has made these processes easy, reliable and cost effective by providing online electronic mode.
In the new online application system, there are provisions for online receipt of fees from the applicants. Payment will be received in digital mode through bharatkosh.gov.in website.
He concluded by wishing success to Agmark’s online software and said that it has become necessary to explore all possibilities so that maximum benefits from this software program can reach the farmers and packers.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

India –Uzbekistan sign crucial agreements

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister ShriNarendraModi has approved the signing of an Agreement between India and Uzbekistan for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.
The Agreement provides for constitution of a Joint working Group comprising of representatives from both countries, the task of which would be to prepare plans of cooperation, provide solutions to the problems arising during the implementation of this Agreement and to monitor the implementation of tasks determined by the Parties.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister ShriNarendraModi has also approved theMoU between India and Uzbekistan on Mutual Cooperation in Combating Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics, Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursors.
The MoU will help in mutual cooperation in regulation of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, and in combating drug trafficking. It is an effective framework to deal with all issues requiring mutual assistance and cooperation in the areas identified.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister ShriNarendraModi has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Uzbekistan for establishment of the Uzbek-Indian Free Pharmaceutical Zone in the Andijan Region of Uzbekistan.
Signing of the MoU in the field of Tourism will also help the two countries in creating an institutional mechanism for enhancing cooperation in the tourism sector. It will also help in increasing foreign tourist arrivals from Uzbekistan to the country.

India and Oman Agree to Enhance Bilateral Cooperation in the Field of Maritime Security

His Excellency, SayyidBadr Saud Harib Al Busaidi, the Minister Responsible for Defence Affairs, Sultanate of Oman, is on an official visit to India at the invitation of RakshaMantriSmtNirmalaSitharaman.
The Omani Minister met with RakshaMantri in South Block today afternoon. The Ministers undertook a comprehensive review of bilateral defence cooperation and discussed measures to further enhance bilateral exchanges.
India and Oman share strong and multifaceted defence ties. The three wings of the Armed Forces hold staff talks and advanced joint exercises with each other. Several enabling agreements and Memoranda of Understanding have been signed between the two countries pertaining to defence related issues.
During today’s meeting, both Ministers agreed upon a range of measures to enhance the defence relationship between the two countries. Cooperation in maritime security and defence industry engagement were prioritized for future engagement.
Both Ministers also shared their perspectives on recent developments related to regional security.

::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

Astra BVR test fired successfully

Astra, the indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), was successfully test fired by the Indian Air Force from Su-30 aircraft, today from Air Force Station, Kalaikunda.
The missile successfully engaged a manoeuvring target with high precision meeting the mission objectives. In the series of trials held to date, Astra has been launched in the complete Su-30 flight envelope. The flight test assumes significance as it was part of the series of final pre-induction trials
. Astra is the best in class weapon system and has undergone more than twenty developmental trials.
RakshaMantriSmtNirmalaSitharaman lauded the efforts of Indian Air Force, DRDO and associated team members involved in the mission and said India has attained a high level of capability in the indigenous design and development of advanced weapon systems.

::SPORTS::

National sports awards distributed

Flash bulbs worked overtime and made the sport stars shine brightly in the Durbar Hall of the RashtrapatiBhavan as President Ram NathKovind presented the National sports and adventure awards on Tuesday.
Starting with the Rajiv KhelRatna to weightlifter MirabaiChanu and ViratKohli, the packed audience applauded every awardee, making it an emotional experience for the achievers.
Quite understandably, most of the athletes were lost for words. Asian Games heroes Hima Das and Jinson Johnson said they were focused on doing better in the Asian and World championships.