Daily Current Capsules - 25^th JULY 2019

Space Awareness
India all set to launch first-ever space war exercise 'IndSpaceEx'

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about IndSpaceEx and about mission shakti and ASAT) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of space)
What's the NEWS

• The tri-Service integrated defence staff (IDS) under the defence ministry is conducting the two-day "IndSpaceEx", with all military and scientific stakeholders

Know! more about the exercise

• An exercise was being planned after India successfully tested an anti-satellite (A-Sat) interceptor missile to destroy the 740-kg Microsat-R satellite, at an altitude of 283-km in the low earth orbit (LEO), in a "hit-to kill mode" under "Mission Shakti" on March 27 this year.

Reason behind this exercise

• As China developing a wide array of A-Sat weapons, both kinetic in the shape of co-orbital killer satellites and direct ascent missiles as well as non-kinetic ones like lasers and electro-magnetic pulse weapons, India has no option but to develop deterrence capabilities to ensure no adversary can threaten its assets in outer-space.
• IndSpaceEx is being conducted to identify key challenges and shortfalls if a conflict escalates to the space dimension. A leading IIT has also been engaged to work on the potential solutions
• This exercise will help India to prepare for future space wars. The entire program has been prepared according to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Ministry of Defence will organize exercise with all three forces together and draw up future plans of any such eventualities.

Know! more about ‘IndSpaceEx'

• This exercise will evaluate the essential space and counter-space abilities that are required by India to defend its national security interests
• After Mission Shakti India had became fourth country in the world after Russia, USA and China to have ASAT power.
• This drill can help Indian armed forces to test their capacities in the condition of cosmic war.
• It will also help Indian armed forces to understand capabilities of A-Sat that how it can defend the Indian sky.
• China has already emerged as one of the big player in space war and space war technology. After ‘Mission Shakti' China had tested various missiles from a naval ship to demonstrate its capabilities.

Know! about ASAT

• ASAT - Anti Satellite Weapon - has a capacity to destroy or disable space assets. ASATs can destroy any military or civilian space asset.
• ASATs are of two types, Kinetic and Non-Kinetic. Kinetic ASAT destroy particular object physically while Non-Kinetic ASAT disable or jam that space object with lasers or by cyber attack.

Centre-State relations
Lok Sabha passes the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about RTI act 2005 and the recent amendments done) + Mains ( GS II governance + centre-state relations+ different aspects of governance transparency and accountability)
What's the NEWS

• Lok Sabha passed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 .
• The bill will provide the central government with the right to employ, decide the term, allowance and conditions of service of the information officers.

Know! more about the changes in the RTI act

• The Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions are statutory bodies established under the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005.
• Therefore, the mandate of Election Commission of India and Central and State Information Commissions are different. Hence, their status and service conditions need to be rationalised accordingly.
• There has been no change in the section of the original act dealing with the appointment of Information Commissioners.
• Bill allows Central government to notify term of office for Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and Information Commissioners (ICs) while as per RTI Act, 2005, CIC at the central level and ICs at state level will hold office for a term of 5 years.
• Bill proposes that salaries, allowances, and other terms and conditions of service of CIC and ICs will be determined by central government.
• While as per RTI Act the salary of CIC and ICs will be equivalent to the salary paid to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (EC) respectively.
• As per RTI Act, 2005 at time of the appointment of CIC and ICs, if they are receiving pension or any other retirement benefits for previous government service, their salaries will be reduced by an amount equal to pension. The RTI (Amendment) Bill, 2019 removes these provisions.

Know! about Right to Information Act, 2005

• The Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 was passed by the Parliament in June 2005 and it came into force in October 2005.
• The RTI Act replaced Freedom of information Act, 2002 with an aim to provide for the setting up of a practical regime of the right to information for citizens.
• The RTI Act is a legal right of every Indian citizen. Under its provisions, any citizen of India may request information from a public authority and the authority will be required to reply within 30 days.
• The request for the information is submitted to the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer.
• The RTI Act requires every government body to computerize their records for the wide dissemination of information.

International organisations
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the ministerial meeting) + Mains ( GS II important international organisations
What's the NEWS

• The Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the 120-member Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) concluded in Venezuela's Caracas
• Theme for 2019 Meet was- Promotion and Consolidation of Peace through Respect for International Law.
• Since 2016 Venezuela has held the presidency of NAM which will now be passed on to Azerbaijan in October 2019.

NAM Ministerial Meeting 2019

• India was represented by Indian envoy to United Nations Syed Akbaruddin.

Issues raised by India at NAM Meet

• Climate change, Digital Technologies and Terrorism.
• India highlighted that Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) needs to be re-examined and revise its methodology.
• India also slammed Pakistan for raking up Kashmir at grouping's ministerial meet.

Know! about Non-Aligned Movement

• It was established in Belgrade in 1961 during Cold War so as to unite developing countries that are not part of any collective defense pacts in interest of any major power.
• It was a joint initiative of former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito.
• It was formed in wake of decolonization processes in Africa, Asia and other parts of world around values of independence, sovereignty, equality and territorial integrity.
• It is forum comprising of developing states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.
• It is the 2nd largest international organization after United Nations (UN) with 120 member states. Membership: 120 member states; 17 states (observers); 10 International Organisations

National
National Medical Commission Bill
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the main provisions of NMC bill) + Mains ( GS II issues relating to development and management of social sector like health)

What's the NEWS

• Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan introduced the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill in Lok Sabha. Once the National Medical Commission Bill is enacted the Indian Medical Council Act will be repealed.

Know! the new provisions of the bill

• There are several new provisions have been introduced in this bill. Bill has introduced a new entrance exam called National Exit Test (NEXT) for the students of MBBS.
• The bill has a provision for making uniform national standards in medical education.
• The Bill proposes final year MBBS exam as an entrance test for Post Graduation (PG) courses in the same field. This test will be a screening test for students got graduation degree in medicine from foreign countries. This exam will be known as National Exit Test (NEXT).
• In the first version of this Bill government had said that AYUSH doctors can also work as allopath doctors after completing two years of bridge course.
• This proposal was widely opposed by medical fraternity across the country. Now, in a new format of NMC Bill, AYUSH has not mentioned anywhere but retained the proposal.
  
• It said that commission (proposed) can allow mid-level community healthcare service to those medical practitioners who are connected with modern medical and scientific profession. However, it keeps a cap on this term as their total number cannot exceed one third of total registered doctors in the country.

Know! about NMC

• The NMC will be 25-member body which would comprise of members selected through nomination, and through election.
• The medical colleges will have to make sure to meet the standards that NMC will lay down. When they found able to work as per NMC rules and are permitted to operate, there would be no need for annual renewals.
  
  

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