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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 28 October 2020

::NATIONAL::

CJI claims online court proceedings susceptible to abuse

Attorney General of India K.K. Venugopal on Monday pushed for live-streaming court proceedings to make hearings accessible to all.
But Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde, heading a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court, sounded a cautionary note, saying it was susceptible to “abuses.”
He reminded the Supreme Court of its own judgment of September 2018 in favour of “opening up” the apex court through live-streaming. The order has remained unimplemented. Mr.Venugopal hinted that the pandemic offered a fresh opportunity.
Justice Chandrachud was one of the three judges on the Bench that gave the verdict on live-streaming in September 2018. In fact, he had noted in his separate opinion that live-streaming would be the true realisation of the “open court system.” Mr.Venugopal had assisted that Bench as amicus curiae. His suggestions were later adopted as guidelines in the 2018 judgment.
The issue of live-streaming came up as a Special Bench led by the CJI was taking stock of the virtual court system initiated after the lockdown. Justice Chandrachud, on the Bench along with Justice L. NageswaraRao, said each High Court could make rules for itself and trial courts under it for the virtual system. Uniform rules would prove difficult owing to the difference in connectivity and e-literacy.

Vice president launches Parampara series-2020

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu today said that music and dance can provide relief from the anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Launching the virtual festival of ‘Parampara Series 2020-National Festival of Music and Dance’ organized by NatyaTarangini in partnership with the United Nations, the Vice President said that music and dance make lives more fulfilling by rejuvenating and energising.
He added that they bring harmony into lives and nourish inner spirit by dispelling gloom and despair.
He appreciated NatyaTarangini for organising the ‘Parampara Series’ continuously since past 23 years, and adopting innovative efforts to make it happen for the 24th year, even in difficult times like this.

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::ECONOMY::

RBI claims COVID to erode fiscal consolidation efforts of states

The additional outgo to combat the impact of COVID-19 will significantly erode the fiscal consolidation achieved by the State governments in the past three years, the RBI said in a report on Tuesday.
In its study of the State budgets of 2020-21,the RBI has dwelled on ‘COVID-19 and its Spatial Dimensions in India’ and said that Gross Fiscal Deficit (GFD) of the States would spiral during the current fiscal.
Observing that the quality of spending and the credibility of State budgets will assume critical importance, it said, “The next few years are going to be challenging for the States. They have played an important role in the frontline of the defence against the pandemic. Going forward, they need to remain empowered to provide growth impulses to the Indian economy and build resilience against future pandemics as well.
“Sustaining the recovery from the pandemic will reshape State finances, entailing boosting investment in health care systems and other social safety nets in line with the States’ demographic and co-morbidity profiles,” it added.
States’ responses by delaying or cutting down expenditures, even wages and salaries, also need to be taken into account in the assessment of the pandemic’s effects on State finances.

FinMin expects economy to bounce back as the fastest growing from next year

The Indian economy may contract or stagnate this fiscal but it will bounce back to be among the fastest growing in the world next year, Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman said.
Demand revival and the government’s focus on infrastructure, agriculture and related sectors, along with support to sovereign funds and pension funds will drive economic growth, she said at the India Energy Forum by CERAweek. The highest level seen in manufacturing PMI since 2012 signalled revival, she said.
Sitharaman said demand for durable goods, agricultural equipment, tractors, vehicles are all going up in India. “The festival season has commenced in India, as a result of which I expect the demand to go up, and therefore be sustainable also,” she said.
Infrastructure spending is the government’s top priority, she said. The sector is attracting domestic and foreign funds, she added.
The finance minister said investment in efficient and clean energy was another focus area of the government. These included the country’s ambitious plan to expand clean energy generation, incentives to produce ethanol from stored grains and incentives to use biomass to produce energy.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

UNSG welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan ceasefire agreement

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the joint statement yesterday by the United States, Armenia and Azerbaijan announcing that a previously reached humanitarian cease-fire agreement will take effect from today, said spokesperson of UN Secretary StephaneDujarric, in a statement in NewYork.
Guterres commended the facilitation efforts of the United States, with the support of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairs.
The secretary-general expected the parties to abide by all their commitments and to work jointly together with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to take concrete steps toward a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said the statement.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988. Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a cease-fire was reached, but there have been sporadic minor clashes. A new round of armed conflict broke out along the contact line on September 27.

BRICS parliamentary forum meeting held

LokSabha Speaker Om Birla today said that BRICS countries need to intensify their collective fight against terrorism which poses the biggest threat to humankind. Virtually addressing the meeting of the 6th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, Mr Birla said, as people’s representatives, parliamentarians can no longer be silent bystanders and they must unite to fight the challenges of terrorism and violent extremism.
He emphasized that the funding of all terrorist activities must be stopped immediately and the conditions that are conducive to the spread of terrorism and violent extremism need to be addressed and resolved at the earliest.
Mr Birla stressed that the Parliaments of BRICS countries must use international platforms to highlight their collective resolve to support all treaties and agreements that prevent terrorism.
The LokSabha Speaker mentioned that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the tragic death of millions of people, severe economic challenges and disruption of everyday life. He added that if ever there was any greater need for international unity and cooperation then it is now.
Mr Birla said, despite their differences, BRICS countries share a common vision of a just and fair world, free of poverty, hunger and disease and where every human being is born equal in dignity.
He said, BRICS countries have to ensure that the outbreak of the pandemic does not jeopardize the progress towards achievement of the Agenda 2030 of Sustainable Development Goals and that they remain committed to work together to achieve the goals of Zero hunger, poverty eradication and an inclusive and just world.

::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

Study finds Himalayan region to be tectonically active

The Himalayan or the Indus Suture Zone (ISZ) in the Ladakh region has been found to be tectonically active. Suture zone is the zone where the Indian and Asian Plates join each other. Until now, it was supposed to be a locked zone.
It has been observed that sedimentary beds are tilted and thrust broken. There is a remote fault zone in the suture zone which is tectonically active. The rivers at this zone are associated with uplifted terraces. The bedrock further shows brittle deformation at a shallower depths.
This region of the Indus Suture Zone (ISZ) was last active some 78000 — 58000 years back. However the recent Earthquake of 2010 near the village Upshi that occurred due to a thrust rupture. The study also says that the Suture Zone of the Himalayas has been active in the recent years of the earth history.
This is thus one of the major reason for the frequent earthquakes in the northern India recently. Himalayas comprise of three thrusts- Main Central Thrust, Main Frontal Thrust and Main Boundary Thrust. The study says, Main Frontal Thrusts are locked and the overall deformation is occurring in the Main Frontal Thrust.

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::SPORTS::

Ladakh cycling challenge flagged off from Leh

In Leh, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor R. K. Mathur flagged off Ultimate Ladakh Cycling Challenge, today. At an altitude of over 17 thousand feet this is one of the toughest cycling challenges in the world.
Ladakh Police, Ladakh Tourism Department in association with the Cycling Federation of India with the support of Ladakh Cycling Association have organized the four-day event.
AIR correspondent reports that Union Territory administration is taking all measures to promote tourism and Ladakh as the centre for adventure sports. As part of the activities, Ladakh Police and Tourism Departments are organizing a four-day Ultimate Ladakh Cycling Challenge in Leh.

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