Daily Current Capsules - 01^st JULY 2019

Space Awareness
NASA's Dragonfly Will Fly Around Titan Looking for Origins, Signs of Life

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about dragonfly and about TITAN) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of space)
What's the NEWS

• NASA to send Dragonfly robot to search for life on Saturn's moon Titan
• NASA has planned to return to Saturn's moon Titan with a nuclear-powered drone, Dragonfly.
• NASA plans to launch the drone lander mission as early as 2034 to search for life on Saturn's largest moon.
• Dragonfly, is expected to travel billions of kilometer to search for signs of microbial alien life on Saturn's moon Titan, while navigating its earth-like gravity and aerodynamics in the process.
• The mission will succeed NASA's Cassini probe, which ended its 13-year mission orbiting Saturn in September 2017 by diving into Saturn's atmosphere.

Know! more about NASA's Dragonfly Mission

• Dragonfly mission is a part of NASA's New Frontiers program, which includes a series of space exploration missions, which are being conducted with the purpose of researching several of the Solar System bodies, including the dwarf planet Pluto.
• The New Frontiers programme also includes Pluto probe New Horizons, Jupiter probe Juno and OSIRIS-Rex asteroid mission.
• The Dragonfly drone will travel to multiple locations on Titan to search for signs of microbial alien life, navigating Titan's Earth-like gravity and aerodynamics in the process.
• The Dragonfly mission replaces a previously discontinued concept project called Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM), which required a balloon probe to circumnavigate Titan.
• The Dragonfly mission is more flexible, as it will be able to fly to specific locations to take readings on the surface of Titan.
• It will have eight rotors powered by a Radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) similar to Curiosity, the Mars rover.
• While, the Mars 2020 rover's helicopter technology demonstrator is likely to be the first flying robot on another planet, Dragonfly will be the first one to do science while flying and it will also be the most distant robotic explorer on the surface of a planet or moon.

Know! about Cassini Probe

• The Cassini mission comprised NASA's Cassini probe and ESA's Huygens lander, both were named after astronomers Giovanni Cassini and Christiaan Huygens.
• Cassini was the fourth space probe to visit Saturn and the first to enter its orbit. It had been the first to land on Titan and the probe had revealed Titan to be one of the most Earth-like worlds.
• The Cassini-Huygens was a mission of firsts, as it was the first to orbit Saturn, first to land in the outer solar system and first to sample an extra terrestrial ocean.
• Cassini was active in space for nearly 20 years, with 13 years spent orbiting Saturn and studying the planet and its system after entering Saturn's orbit on July 1, 2004.

Know! about Saturn's Moon Titan

• Titan is one of the very few objects in the solar system with a thick atmosphere, up to four times more dense than Earth's atmosphere. The moon is reportedly to be one of the most Earth-like worlds.
• Titan is the only object in the solar system other than Earth with permanent bodies of liquid on the surface.

National Affairs
J&K reservation (amendment) bill 2019 passed by Lok Sabha
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the reservation bill and about governor and president rule in J and K ) -+ Mains ( GS II centre -state relations +parliament and state legislature - functioning and structure)
What's the NEWS

• The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed in the Lok Sabha
• The Bill, which amends the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004. was introduced in Lok Sabha.
• It paves the way for the people living near the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir to get the benefit of reservation in jobs, promotion and educational institutions on par with those living along the Actual Line of Control (ALoC).
• The bill aimed to provide reservations in educational institutions and government jobs within 10km of the International Border in the Jammu area, just like the Line of Control in Kashmir.

Extension of President rule

• Introducing a bill to extend the President's rule by six more months, Shah said: "The current President's rule in Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled to be over on July 2.
• In view of Ramadan and Amarnath Yatra, the election in the state has been postponed to by 2018-end."
• A meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided that central rule, which has been continuing in Jammu and Kashmir since June 20, 2018, will remain for six months under article 356(4) of the Constitution of India.
• This is likely to be the last extension of the central rule in the state as the Election Commission had issued a statement recently stating that elections in Jammu and Kashmir would be announced after the annual Amarnath Yatra beginning on July 1.

Know! more about the governor and president rule

• The Governor's rule in Jammu and Kashmir was imposed initially on June 20, 2018 and the State Assembly was kept in suspended animation after the state plunged into a political crisis when the Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition government was reduced to minority following withdrawal of support by the 25-member BJP in the state.
• Under Section 92 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, there is no provision for further continuation of Governor's rule after six months.
• Hence, on the recommendation of Governor and having regard to the prevailing situation in the state, the President's rule was imposed on December 20, 2018.
• Subsequently, a resolution approving the President's rule was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 28, 2018 and in the Rajya Sabha on January 3, 2019.
• Governor Satypal Malik on November 21, 2018 dissolved the 87-member state assembly after the PDP, supported by the Congress and their arch rivals National Conference, had staked claim to form the government.
• The governor had dissolved the assembly citing horse-trading and lack of stability to form a government as the reasons.
• No presidential proclamation shall in any case remain in force for more than three years except for the intervention of Election Commission of India which has to certify that the continuance in force of the Proclamation is necessary on account of difficulties in holding general elections to the Legislative Assembly.

Education Reforms
HRD Ministry releases 5-year vision plan on Quality Education

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about EQUIP) + Mains ( GS II issues related to the development and management of social sector relating to education and human resource
What's the NEWS

• The Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Human Resource Development has finalized and released a five-year vision plan named Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme (EQUIP).
• This is in accordance with the Prime Minister's direction for finalizing a five-year vision plan for each Ministry.
• The Expert Groups drawn from senior academicians, administrators and industrialists, have suggested more than 50 initiatives that would transform the higher education sector completely.

Know! more about EQUIP
EQUIP report has been prepared after a detailed exercise done by Experts covering following ten areas:

1. Strategies for expanding access
2. Towards global best teaching/learning process
3. Promoting Excellence
4. Governance reforms
5. Assessment, Accreditation & Ranking systems
6. Promotion of research & innovation
7. Employability & entrepreneurship
8. Using Technology for better reach
9. Internationalisation
10. Financing higher education Expert Groups

Goals set for Higher Education Sector by Expert Group are

1. Doubling Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) and resolving geographically and socially skewed access to higher education institutions in India.
2. Promoting India as a global study destination.
3. Upgrade Quality of Education to global standards.
4. Positioning minimum 50 Indian institutions among Top-1000 Global Universities.
5. Promote Research & Innovation ecosystems for positioning India in Top-3 countries globally in matters of knowledge creation.
6. Introducing governance reforms in higher education for well-administered campuses.
7. Accreditation of all institutions for assurance of quality.
8.  Doubling employability of students passing out of higher education.
9.  Harnessing education technology for expanding reach and improving pedagogy (method and practise of teaching).
10. Achieving a quantum increase in investment in higher education.

International Organisations
G20 Summit 2019 - Updates
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the G20 summit and its takeaways + GS II important international organisations)
What's the Update

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump held bilateral talks ahead of the formal inauguration of the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan.
• Both leaders, who met just after the Japan-America-India (JAI) trilateral meet, discussed issues including trade, defence and 5G communications networks.
• During the Japan-America-India trilateral meeting, Modi emphasised "the importance India attaches to" the grouping.
• In G20 Summit 2019 India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi held extensive discussions on the Indo-Pacific region, improving connectivity and infrastructure development with US President Donald Trump and Japanese premier Shinzo Abe in Osaka.
• At a special session US President Donald Trump on Digital Economy, talked about China and India on 5G and data localisation respectively.
• US opposes data localisation and policies which have been used to restrict digital trade, and violate privacy and intellectual property protections."

G20 Summit 2019 Themes

• There are eight main themes for G20 Summit 2019 that includes Global Economy, Trade and Investment, Innovation, Environment and Energy, Employment, Development and Health.
• While the G20 was originally established in response to the global financial crisis, its core mission today is to establish economic fundamentals for realizing sustainable and inclusive growth of the global economy.

G20 Summit Participants

• The participants are leaders from 19 countries and the European Union (EU). The 19 countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Republic of South Africa, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States of America.
• In addition, leaders of invited guest countries and representatives of invited guest international organizations participate in the summit along with leaders from the G20 members.

Know! about G20 Summit

• The G20 Summit is formally known as the "Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy". G20 stands for the "Group of Twenty".
• As the "premier forum for international economic cooperation" (agreed by leaders at the Pittsburgh Summit in September 2009), representing more than 80% of the global GDP, the G20 has made continuous efforts toward achieving robust global economic growth.
• As globalization progresses and various issues become more intricately intertwined, the recent G20 summits have focused not only on macro-economy and trade.
• But also on a wide range of global issues which have an immense impact on the global economy, such as development, climate change and energy, health, counter-terrorism, as well as migration and refugees.
• The G20 has sought to realize an inclusive and sustainable world through its contributions towards resolving these global issues.

Prelims Factoids
Buddhist pillar, dating back to third century AD, found in Andhra Pradesh

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the buddhist pillar)
What's the NEWS

• A third century A.D Buddhist relic was found on the right bank of river Gundlakamma at Anamanaluru village in Prakasam district in Andhra Pradesh.

Know! more about it

• The local limestone pillar is carved with half lotus medallions at the centre and the top on all the four side. It measures to about 1'-3"x0'-9''x8'.0" also, it is two feet below the ground level.
• The pillar might have been a part of a Silamandapa of a monastery, where Buddhist teachers offered regular discourse on the teachings of ‘dharma'

Multilateral Organisations
India wins solar case against US at WTO
Relevance IN - Prelims ( facts about the recent trade + 2014 solar trade dispute) + Mains ( GS II international organisations and their role)
What's the NEWS

• India won a major trade dispute against the US at the World Trade Organization, with a dispute settlement panel pronouncing that subsidies and mandatory local content requirements instituted by eight American states breached global trade rules.

Know! the violation

• The renewable energy programmes administered by the American states violated core provisions in the TRIMs agreement by insisting on mandatory domestic content requirements.

Know! more about the panel decision and the case

• The three-member panel largely upheld India's claims that subsidies and local content requirement in 11 renewable energy programmes in eight US states violated core global trade rules.
• India had claimed that the "domestic content requirements and subsidies instituted by the governments of eight states violated several provisions of the Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMs) Agreement and Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Agreement.
• The panel urged the US to bring the eight states in conformity with US obligations under Article III:4 of "national treatment". Under the national treatment provision, foreign producers must be treated on a par with domestic producers.
• The US can still challenge the panel's ruling before the Appellate Body (AB); however, the AB itself is feared to have become dysfunctional after 11 December because the US has been blocking appointments to it.
• In 2014, the US had launched a similar trade dispute against India's Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Energy Mission, on the grounds that it included incentives for domestically produced solar cells and modules. WTO's Appellate Body had upheld the US complaint against India in that case.

Way forward

• This ruling could provide India the much-needed strategic leverage normally open to WTO members in tit-for-tat trade disputes.
• At a time when the US is pursuing several trade disputes against India, particularly against the nation's export-related schemes, a victory in the renewable energy sector could help India in settling other disputes with Washington
  
  

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