Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CSE
Topics Covered
- PSLV C-51 Mission
- TEQUIP & MERITE Project
- Lateral Entry into Civil Services
- Facts for Prelims
1 . PSLV C-51 Mission
Context : The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched Brazil’s optical earth observation satellite, Amazonia-1, and 18 co-passenger satellites — five from India and 13 from the U.S. — from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.
About the Launch
- PSLV-C51 mission is the first dedicated launch for NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a government of India company under the Department of Space that serves as ISRO’s commercial arm.
- PSLV – C 51 consists of Amazonia -1 as primary satellite & 18 co-passenger satellites. Out of 18 satellites five satellites belong to India
- Satish Dhawan SAT (SDSAT) built by Space Kidz India is a nano-satellite intended to study the radiation levels, space weather and demonstrate long range communication technologies. The SDSAT has an engraved picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi symbolising his Atmanirbhar initiative and Space privatisation. An e-copy of the Bhagavad Gita, saved on an SD-card,is also part of the package.
- UNITYsat is a combination of three satellites intended for providing radio relay services. The UNITYsat was designed and built as a joint development by the Jeppiar Institute of Technology, G.H. Raisoni College of Engineering and Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology,
About Amazonia 1
- The Primary payload Amazonia 1 is the first Brazilian satellite to be launched from India.
- Amazonia 1 is a sun-synchronous satellite, the first one to be fully designed, integrated, tested and operated by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research
- Amazonia 1 is a part of Amazon mission, which includes two other satellites, Amazonia 1B and Amazonia 2.
- Together Amazonia satellites is expected to provide remote sensing data for the purpose of observing and monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region.
- Amazonia 1 will take pictures of the planet every five days with the help of the wide-view optical imager on board
- Amazonia 1 will provide images for environmental and agriculture monitoring throughout Brazilian territory with a high rate of return visit. It will also serve to monitor the coastal region, water reservoirs, environmental disasters among other applications.
India – Brazil Relationship
- The successful launch of Brazil’s Amazonia-1 satellite by the Indian Space Research Organisation marks a new high point in space cooperation between the two countries that began nearly two decades ago
- This confirms the infinite potential of the [India-Brazil] partnership to overcome development challenges through high technology
- Cooperation would “open the door for multiple business and governmental opportunities” and help “fulfil the environmental commitments of the Brazilian government” towards the Amazon rainforest.
2 . TEQUIP & MERITE Project
Context : A World Bank-funded Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme project to take graduates from elite institutions to rural and remote engineering colleges in poorer States is coming to an end in March, leaving more than 1,200 assistant professors out of a job and some rural colleges bereft of half their faculty.
About TEQUIP Project
- Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme is a project of Government of India assisted by World Bank.
- The project was implemented to improve the quality of education in the technical institutions of India
- TEQUIP aims to upscale and support ongoing efforts in improving quality of technical education and enhancing existing capacities of the institutions to become dynamic, demand-driven, quality conscious, efficient and forward looking, responsive to rapid economic and technological developments occurring both at national and international levels.
- The Programme was conceived and designed as a long term project to be implemented in 10-12 years in 3 phases to support excellence and transformation in Technical Education in the country.
TEQIP Phase-I had the following Objectives:
- Promotion of Academic Excellence;
- System Management Capacity Improvement.
- Networking of Institutions for quality enhancement and resource sharing
- Enhancing quality and reach of services to Community and Economy
TEQIP Phase-II had the following Objectives:
- To create an environment in which Engineering Institutions selected under the programme can achieve their own set of targets for excellence and sustain the same with autonomy and accountability.
- To support development plans including synergistic Networking and Services to Community and economy of competitively selected institutions for achieving higher standards.
- To improve efficiency and effectiveness of the technical education management system in the States and institutions selected under the Programme.
TEQIP Phase-III had the following Objectives:
- Improving quality and equity in engineering institutions in focus states viz. 7 Low Income States (LIS ), eight states in the North-East of India, three Hill states viz. Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (a union territory (UT))
- System-level initiatives to strengthen sector governance and performance which include widening the scope of Affiliating Technical Universities (ATUs) to improve their policy, academic and management practices towards affiliated institutions, and
- Twinning Arrangements to Build Capacity and Improve Performance of institutions and ATUs participating in focus states.
Current Status of the Project
- Three phases of the ₹3,600-crore TEQIP project have been completed since it was launched in December 2002.
- The third phase focused on improving quality and equity in engineering institutions in seven low-income, eight northeastern and three hilly States.
- Among the initiatives was a bid to recruit more than 1,500 faculty from top institutions and send them to colleges that could never have afforded them. They were paid salaries in accordance with the Seventh Pay Commission.
About the issue
- Project is coming to an end in March, leaving more than 1,200 assistant professors out of a job and some rural colleges bereft of half their faculty. Now, neither the States nor the Centre is willing to commit to funding.
- About 300 faculty have already quit TEQIP for other jobs, but 250 of those remaining have filed cases in the Delhi High CourtAbout 300 faculty have already quit TEQIP for other jobs, but 250 of those remaining have filed cases in the Delhi High Court
- The Centre is preparing its own MERITE project with some similar objectives to improve technical education, but that may be too late for the faculty employed under the current project.
3 . Lateral Entry into Civil Services
Context : Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) issued an advertisement seeking applications “from talented and motivated Indian nationals willing to contribute towards nation building” for three posts of Joint Secretary and 27 of Director in central government Departments. These individuals, who would make a “lateral entry” into the government secretariat, would be contracted for three to five years. These posts were “unreserved”, meaning were no quotas for SCs, STs and OBCs.
What is ‘lateral entry’ into government?
- NITI Aayog, in its three-year Action Agenda, and the Sectoral Group of Secretaries (SGoS) on Governance in its report submitted in February 2017, recommended the induction of personnel at middle and senior management levels in the central government.
- These ‘lateral entrants’ would be part of the central secretariat which in the normal course has only career bureaucrats from the All India Services
- A Joint Secretary, appointed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), has the third highest rank (after Secretary and Additional Secretary) in a Department, and functions as administrative head of a wing in the Department. Directors are a rank below that of Joint Secretary.
Why is lateral entry sometimes criticised?
- Groups representing SCs, STs and OBCs have protested the fact that there is no reservation in these appointments.
- It raises the question on UPSC selection procedure
- Criticism of opening back doors to bring its own people openly are also raised
So are these contractual appointments not open for quotas?
- In a single post cadre, reservation does not apply. Since each post to be filled under this scheme is a Single Post, reservation is not applicable.”
- Each of the nine individuals appointed in 2019 was recruited as a separate appointment — had they been considered as a group of nine, there would have been at least two seats for OBCs and one seat for an SC candidate as per the Centre’s reservation rules.
- Likewise in the latest advertisement, if the 27 Directors were considered as a single group, seven posts would have to be reserved for OBCs, four for SCs, one for ST, and two for EWS category, as per the 13 point roster. But as they have been advertised/ considered separately for each Department, all of them have been declared “unreserved”.
4 . Facts for Prelims
Surya Kiran Aerobatics demonstration team
- Surya Kiran is an aerobatics demonstration team of the Indian Air Force.
- The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team was formed in 1996 and are a part of the 52nd Squadron of the IAF. The team has since performed numerous demonstrations usually with nine aircraft.