Daily Current Affairs : 7/1/2019

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC Civil Services Exam

Topics Covered

1. International Space Station
2. Open Market Operation
3. Issues faced by Adivasi community in West Bengal
4. Fugitive Economic Offender
5. Indian Science Congress
6. Mobile Court
7. Facts for Prelims

1 . International Space Station

Context : After cultivating lettuce in space three years ago, crew members aboard the International Space Station could be growing beans in 2021, new research suggests.

About the News

• The beans could be planted in high-tech planters developed at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
• The planters can regulate all the water, nutrients, gas and air the plants need.
• he food grown in space could be crucial to sustain the crew in future deep space missions.
• The longest stays at the International Space Station have been six months, while people travelling to Mars will need to be prepared to stay in space for at least a year.
• The beans would be placed in a centrifuge to sprout and grow in the space station. The centrifuge would be rotated to create different amounts of gravity

What is International Space Station

• The International Space Station is a large spacecraft. It orbits around Earth. It is a home where astronauts live.
• The space station is also a science lab. Many countries worked together to build it. They also work together to use it.
• The space station is made of many pieces. The pieces were put together in space by astronauts. The space station’s orbit is approximately 250 miles above Earth. NASA uses the station to learn about living and working in space. These lessons will help NASA explore space.

How Old Is the Space Station?

• The first piece of the International Space Station was launched in 1998. A Russian rocket launched that piece. After that, more pieces were added. Two years later, the station was ready for people.
• The first crew arrived on November 2, 2000. People have lived on the space station ever since. Over time more pieces have been added. NASA and its partners around the world finished the space station in 2011.
•  

How Big Is the Space Station?

• The space station is as big inside as a house with five bedrooms. It has two bathrooms, a gymnasium and a big bay window. Six people are able to live there. It weighs almost a million pounds. It is big enough to cover a football field including the end zones. It has science labs from the United States, Russia, Japan and Europe.

What Are the Parts of the Space Station?

• The space station has many parts. The parts are called modules. The first modules had parts needed to make the space station work. Astronauts also lived in those modules. Modules called “nodes” connect parts of the station to each other. Labs on the space station let astronauts do research.
• On the sides of the space station are solar arrays. These arrays collect energy from the sun. They turn sunlight into electricity. Robot arms are attached outside. The robot arms helped to build the space station. They also can move astronauts around outside and control science experiments.Airlocks on the space station are like doors. Astronauts use them to go outside on spacewalks.
• Docking ports are like doors, too. The ports allow visiting spacecraft to connect to the space station. New crews and visitors enter the station through the docking ports. Astronauts fly to the space station on the Russian Soyuz. The crew members use the ports to move supplies onto the station.

Why Is the Space Station Important?

• The space station is a home in orbit. People have lived in space every day since the year 2000. The space station’s labs are where crew members do research. This research could not be done on Earth.
• Scientists study what happens to people when they live in space. NASA has learned how to keep a spacecraft working for a long time. These lessons will be important in the future.
• NASA has a plan to send humans deeper into space than ever before. The space station is one of the first steps. NASA will use lessons from the space station to get astronauts ready for the journey ahead

2 . Open Market Operation

Context : The latest monetary policy statement highlighted the issue of liquidity crunch being faced by the banking system. The statement noted that the tight liquidity conditions had led to overnight call money rate breaching the policy corridor on several occasions. Consequently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to scale up its open market operations (OMO) in December and January. It further added that liquidity conditions will continue to be monitored and depending on the assessment, RBI will consider similar quantum of OMO purchases until the end of March 2019.

About Open Market Operation (OMO)

• Open market operations is the sale and purchase of government securities and treasury bills by RBI or the central bank of the country. 
• The objective of OMO is to regulate the money supply in the economy. 
• When the RBI wants to increase the money supply in the economy, it purchases the government securities from the market and it sells government securities to suck out liquidity from the system. 
• RBI carries out the OMO through commercial banks and does not directly deal with the public. 
• OMO is one of the tools that RBI uses to smoothen the liquidity conditions through the year and minimise its impact on the interest rate and inflation rate levels. 

3 . Issues Faced by Adivasi community in West Bengal

Context : Two months after the West Bengal government denied any food scarcity as a possible cause of death of seven persons from a tribal community, a survey report has identified “food scarcity in varying degrees” in about 31% of tribal households in West Bengal.

Details of the Report

• The study titled ‘An Inquiry into the world of the Adivasis of West Bengal’, conducted by Professor Amartya Sen’s Pratichi Institute and Asiatic Society
• The survey was conducted in 1,000 tribal households to ascertain living conditions, health and education

4 . Fugitive Economic Offender

Context : Absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Saturday became the first person to be declared a fugitive economic offender by the special court hearing cases under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA).

About Fugitive Economic Offender Act

• The Act allows for a person to be declared as a fugitive economic offender (FEO) if: (i) an arrest warrant has been issued against him for any specified offences where the value involved is over Rs 100 crore, and (ii) he has left the country and refuses to return to face prosecution.     
• To declare a person an FEO, an application will be filed in a Special Court (designated under the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002) containing details of the properties to be confiscated, and any information about the person’s whereabouts.  The Special Court will require the person to appear at a specified place at least six weeks from issue of notice.  Proceedings will be terminated if the person appears. 
• The Act allows authorities to provisionally attach properties of an accused, while the application is pending before the Special Court. 
• Upon declaration as an FEO, properties of a person may be confiscated and vested in the central government, free of encumbrances (rights and claims in the property).  Further, the FEO or any company associated with him may be barred from filing or defending civil claims.   

5 . Indian Science Congress

About Indian Science Congress

• The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) owes its origin to the foresight and initiative of two British Chemists, namely, Professor J. L. Simonsen and Professor P.S. MacMahon.
• It occurred to them that scientific research in India might be stimulated if an annual meeting of research workers somewhat on the lines of the British Association for the Advancement of Science could be arranged.

1. To advance and promote the cause of science in India
2. To hold an annual congress at a suitable place in India
3. To publish such proceedings, journals, transactions and other publications as may be considered desirable.
4. To secure and manage funds and endowments for the promotion of Science inlcuding the rights of disposing of or selling all or any portion of the properties of the Association.
5. To do and perform any or all other acts, matters and things as are conductive to, or incidental to, or necessary for, the above objects.

• The first meeting of the Congress was held from January 15-17, 1914 at the premises of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta, with the Honourable Justice Sir Asutosh Mukherjee, the then Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta University, as President. One hundred and five scientists from different parts of India and abroad attended and the papers numbering 35 were divided into six sections-Botany, Chemistry, Ethnography, Geology, Physics, Zoology under six Sectional Presidents. 
• From this modest beginning with hundred and five members and thirty five papers communicated for reading at the first session, ISCA has grown into a strong fraternity with more than sixty thousand members till to date.
• The number of papers communicated for reading has risen to nearly two thousand. Upto 2000 there were Sixteen sections,two committes and six forums.
• There are now fourteen sections namely Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Animal, Veterinary and Fishery Sciences, Anthropological and Behavioural Sciences (including Archaeology and Psychology & Educational Sciences), Chemical Sciences, Earth System Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Information and Communication Science & Technology (including Computer Sciences), Material Sciences,Mathematical Sciences (including Statistics), Medical Sciences (including Physiology), New Biology (including Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology and Biotechnology), Physical Sciences, Plant Sciences and one Committee Science & Society.

About 106th Indian Science Congress

• The 106th Indian Science Congress perceives the theme of FUTURE INDIA – Science and Technology in order to provide platform to researchers, academicians and industry champions to share their findings with the scholars zealous to excavate scientific findings and also to instigate budding science and technology enthusiasts to do meaningful extradition for ever-growing industry need and sustainable socio-economic system.
• The 106th Indian Science Congress would be the festival to rejoice science and technology and would prove to be the showcase for what is being done, what can be done and what would define the future of Science and Technology in India.

6 . Mobile Court

Context : Mobile Court initiated in the year 2007 is considered as a failure. It was inagurated
by the then Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan with the aim of making the judicial system accessible to remote and backward areas

What is Gram nyayalayas or mobile village courts

• Gram Nyayalayas are mobile village courts in India established under Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008  for speedy and easy access to justice system in the rural areas of India.
• They are aimed at providing inexpensive justice to people in rural areas at their doorsteps. The Act came into force on October 2, 2009 i.e. the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. (Gram stands for village; Nyay stands for Justice and Aalya stands for House/centre etc)
• Gram Nyayalaya is a mobile court and exercises the powers of both Criminal and Civil Courts; i.e., the seat of the Gram Nyayalaya will be located at the headquarters of the intermediate Panchayat, but they will go to villages, work there and dispose of the cases.
• It can try criminal cases, civil suits, claims or disputes which are specified in the First Schedule and the Second Schedule to the Gram Nyayalaya Act and the scope of these cases can be amended by the Central as well as the State Governments, as per their respective legislative competence
• The Gram Nyayalaya are supposed to try to settle the disputes as far as possible by bringing about conciliation between the parties and for this purpose, it can make use of the appointed conciliators. The judgment and order passed by the Gram Nyayalaya are deemed to be a decree and to avoid delay in its execution, the Gram Nyayalaya can follow summary procedure for its execution.
• Gram Nyayalaya are courts of Judicial Magistrate of the first class and its presiding officer (Nyayadhikari) is appointed by the State Government in consultation with the High Court of the State concerned; The Nyayadhikaris who will preside over these Gram Nyayalayas are strictly judicial officers and will be drawing the same salary and deriving the same powers as First Class Magistrates working under High Courts.
• The Gram Nyayalaya will not be bound by the rules of evidence provided in the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 but shall be guided by the principles of natural justice and subject to any rule made by the High Court; 
• Appeal in criminal cases shall lie to the Court of Session, which shall be heard and disposed of within a period of six months from the date of filing of such appeal. Appeal in civil cases shall lie to the District Court, which shall be heard and disposed of within a period of six months from the date of filing of the appeal.
• The setting up of Gram Nyayalayas is considered as an important measure to reduce arrears and is a part of the judicial reforms. It is estimated that Gram Nyayalayas can reduce around 50% of the pendency of cases in subordinate courts and can take care of the new litigations which will be disposed within six months.

Why it Failed

• Since the mobile court was held in the open at four different locations in the interior areas, it became difficult to provide facilities such as stamp vendors, typewriters, photocopiers and more importantly the treasury to collect court fees,”
• Reluctance of police officials and other State functionaries to invoke jurisdiction of Gram Nyayalayas, lukewarm response of the Bar, non-availability of notaries and stamp vendors, problem of concurrent jurisdiction of regular courts etc. are some of the issues indicated by the States which are coming in the way of operationalisation of the Gram Nyayalayas. Further, majority of States have now set up regular courts at Taluk level, thus reducing the demand for gram nyayalayas

7 . Facts for Prelims

• Masked Dance – Cambodia
• Digital dividend report – World Bank