WORLD PHILOSOPHY DAY AND MORE ( CURRENT AFFAIRS 19 NOV 2020)

 WORLD PHILOSOPHY DAY

World Philosophy Day is being observed on 19 November.

About:

• World Philosophy Day was introduced in 2002 by UNESCO to foster philosophical analysis, research and studies on major contemporary issues, so as to respond more effectively to the challenges that are confronting humanity today.
  
  
• In 2005 the UNESCO General Conference proclaimed that World Philosophy Day would be celebrated every third Thursday of November.
  
  
• The 2020 edition invites the world to reflect on the meaning of the current pandemic, underlining the need, more than ever before, to resort to philosophical reflection in order to face the multiple crises we are going through.
  

DEEMED FORESTS

Karnataka Forest Minister announced in the Assembly that the state government would soon declassify 6.64 lakh hectares of the 9.94 lakh hectares of deemed forests in the state (nearly 67%) and hand it over to Revenue authorities.

About:

• While the concept of deemed forests has not been clearly defined in any law including the Forest Conservation Act of 1980, the Supreme Court in the case of T N Godavarman Thirumalpad (1996) accepted a wide definition of forests under the Act.
  
  
• “The word ‘forest’ must be understood according to its dictionary meaning. This description covers all statutorily recognised forests, whether designated as reserved, protected or otherwise for the purpose of Section 2 (1) of the Forest Conservation Act,” the Supreme Court said in its December 12, 1996 order.
  
  
• “The term ‘forest land’ occurring in Section 2 will not only include ‘forest’ as understood in the dictionary sense, but also any areas recorded as forest in the government record irrespective of the ownership.
  
  
• The provisions enacted in the Forest Conservation Act 1980 for the conservation of forest and the matters connected therewith must apply clearly to all forest so understood irrespective of the ownership or classification thereof,” the court said.
  

MRIDULA SINHA

Former Goa Governor and BJP leader Mridula Sinha died at the age of 77.

About:

• Mridula Sinha (1942 – 2020) was an Indian writer and politician who served as Governor of Goa from August 2014 to October 2019.
  
  
• She was the first woman Governor of Goa.
  
  
• She was also the former chairperson of Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB), Ministry of Human Resource Development.
  
  
• Mridula Sinha was also a former president of BJP Mahila Morcha.
  
  
• A renowned Hindi writer, he works Like Jyon Mehendi Ko Rang, a novel is adapted into a T.V. Serial and short Story l "Dattak Pita" and autobiography on Vijayaraje scindia Rajpath se lok path par are made into feature films as Dattak and Ek thi Rani Aisi Bhi respectively.
  

SEX RATIO

With 1,084 females born per thousand males, Arunachal Pradesh recorded the best sex ratio in the country, followed by Nagaland at 965 females and Mizoram at 964.

About:

• The three north-eastern states top the 2018 report on “Vital statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System (CRS)”.
  
  
• Manipur, on the other hand, featured at the bottom of the list.
  
  
• The sex ratio (number of females per thousand males) is an important indicator to map the gender gap of a population.
  
  
• Highest Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) based on registered events has been reported by Arunachal Pradesh (1,084), followed by Nagaland (965), Mizoram (964) and Kerala (963).
  
  
• Meanwhile, lowest SRB has been reported by Manipur (757), Lakshadweep (839) and Daman & Diu (877), followed by Punjab (896),” the report, prepared by the Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India, read.
  
  
• Assam recorded a sex ratio of 904, Meghalaya 942 and Tripura 945.

RECIPROCAL ACCESS AGREEMENT (RAA)

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison have signed a landmark defence deal in a bid to counter China's growing influence in the South China Sea and over the Pacific island nations.

About:

• Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) comes weeks after foreign ministers of the Quad alliance, which includes the US and India, met in Tokyo.
  
  
• The pact allows Japanese and Australian troops to visit each other's countries and conduct training and joint operations. Australian Prime Minister said that the treaty will strengthen their security ties and facilitate cooperation between defence forces.
  
  
• The two sides also agreed on the need for a framework to allow Japanese military to protect Australian forces if needed.
  

QRSAM

The second flight test of Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile System (QRSAM) was successfully conducted by DRDO from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.

About:

• The first in the series test of QRSAM took place on 13th of this month.
  
  
• The second flight test was carried out against the high performance Jet Unmanned Aerial Target called Banshee, which simulates an aircraft.
  
  
• The system is capable of detecting and tracking targets on the move and engaging targets with short halts. It is designed to give air defence coverage for strike columns of the Indian Army,
  
  
• Propelled by a single stage solid propellant rocket motor, the sophisticated missile used all indigenous subsystems.
  
  
• The missile is cannisterised for transportation and launch using a mobile launcher which is capable of carrying six canisterised missiles.
  
  
• First launch test on 13th November proved the Radar and Missile capabilities with direct hit while today’s test demonstrated the warhead performance on proximity detection.

ARTICLE 32

A Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde observed that it is “trying to discourage” individuals from filing petitions under Article 32 of the Constitution.

About:

• Article 32 is one of the fundamental rights listed in the Constitution that each citizen is entitled.
  
  
• Article 32 deals with the ‘Right to Constitutional Remedies’, or affirms the right to move the Supreme Court by appropriate proceedings for the enforcement of the rights conferred in Part III of the Constitution.
  
  
• Only if fundamental rights is violated can a person can approach the Supreme Court directly under Article 32.
  
  
• Both the High Courts and the Supreme Court can be approached for violation or enactment of fundamental rights through five kinds of writs:
  • Habeas corpus – related to personal liberty in cases of illegal detentions and wrongful arrests
    
    
  • Mandamus — directing public officials, governments, courts to perform a statutory duty;
    
    
  • Quo warranto — to show by what warrant is a person holding public office;
    
    
  • Prohibition — directing judicial or quasi-judicial authorities to stop proceedings which it has no jurisdiction for; and
    
    
  • Certiorari — re-examination of an order given by judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative authorities.
    
    
  
  
  
• When it comes to violation of fundamental rights, an individual can approach the High Court under Article 226 or the Supreme Court directly under Article 32. Article 226, however, is not a fundamental right like Article 32.

BRICS COUNTER-TERRORISM STRATEGY

The five-nation grouping BRICS has adopted a new counter-terrorism strategy to effectively deal with terrorism.

About:

• The objective of BRICS counter-terrorism cooperation is to complement and strengthen the existing bilateral and multilateral ties among the BRICS countries, and to make a meaningful contribution to the global efforts of preventing and combating the threat of terrorism.
  
  
• The BRICS countries reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security and that any act of terrorism committed is a crime and has no justification.
  
  
• The BRICS countries also recognized that the international community should take the necessary steps to enhance cooperation to prevent and combat terrorism, including cross-border movement of terrorists.

LILAVATI AWARD-2020

Union Minister of Education virtually launched Lilavati Award-2020: AICTE's Innovative education program to empower women.

About:

• With women empowerment as the theme, the objective of the award is to create awareness about issues like sanitation, hygiene, health, nutrition, literacy, employment, technology, credit, marketing, innovation, skill development, natural resources and rights among women.
  
  
• All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has established the Lilavati Award.
  
  
• The award covers multidisciplinary areas such as women's health, self defense, sanitation, literacy, entrepreneurship and legal awareness.
  
  
• The program will ensure the participation of women and enable them to hold higher positions in educational institutions.
  

HIGH COURT JUDGE

President of India in exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, appointed 28 Additional Judges as Permanent Judges of Allahabad High Court.

Article 217(1) in The Constitution Of India:

• Every Judge of a High Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the Governor of the State, and, in the case of appointment of a Judge other than the chief Justice, the chief Justice of the High court.
  
  
• Every Judge of a High Court shall hold office, in the case of an additional or acting Judge, as provided in Article 224, and in any other case, until he attains the age of sixty two years Provided that
  • a Judge may, by writing under his hand addressed to the President, resign his office;
    
    
  • a Judge may be removed from his office by the President in the manner provided in clause ( 4 ) of Article 124 for the removal of a Judge of the Supreme Court;
    
    
  • the office of a Judge shall be vacated by his being appointed by the President to be a Judge of the Supreme Court or by his being transferred by the President to any other High Court within the territory of India.