Daily Current Capsules - 06^th AUGUST 2019

Jammu and Kashmir Bifurcation Bill passed in Rajya Sabha, Ladakh, J&K to be Union Territories - (part I)

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about article 370 , 35A and the facts related to it) + Mains ( GS II centre state relations + functions and responsibilities of the Union and the states+ challenges pertaining to federal structure )
What's the NEWS

• The Rajya Sabha on Monday passed the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019 that proposes the bifurcation of the state into two union territories-Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
• The bill was passed hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the government has scrapped the special status granted to the state of Jammu and Kashmir by modifying Article 370 of the Constitution.
• Article 370 of the constitution is a ‘temporary provision' granting special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir.
• Instead of 29 states, we will now have 28 states. Kashmir will now be headed not by the Governor but by a Lt. Governor like Delhi or Pondicherry.

Know! about Article 35A

• Article 35A stems from Article 370, and was introduced through a Presidential Order in 1954. Article 35A does not appear in the main body of the Constitution - Article 35 is followed by Article 36 - but appears in Appendix I.
• Article 35A empowers the Jammu and Kashmir legislature to define the permanent residents of the state, and their special rights and privileges.
• Monday's Presidential Order has extended all provisions of the Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir, including the chapter on Fundamental Rights. Therefore, the discriminatory provisions under Article 35A are now unconstitutional. The President may also withdraw Article 35A.
• This provision is currently under challenge in the Supreme Court on the ground that it could have been introduced in the Indian Constitution only through a constitutional amendment under Article 368, and not through a Presidential Order under Article 370. However, Monday's Presidential Order, too has amended Article 367 without following the amending process.

Social Issues
World Breastfeeding Week 2019

Relevance IN - Prelims (about world breastfeeding week and facts related to it) + Mains (GS II issues related to development and management of social sector like health)
What's the NEWS

• Every year World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated from August 1 to 7 with an aim to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies across the globe.
• As per the UNICEF report, about 60% of the world's total infants are missing out of recommended six months of exclusive breastfeeding.
• The theme for 2019 World Breastfeeding Week is - Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding.
• The objective of this theme is to aware parents about the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months because it has many benefits for the infant and the mother. Exclusive breastfeeding is a very important source of energy and nutrients in children aged between 6-23 months.

Know! the importance of Breastfeeding Week

• According to the information released by the World Health Organisation (WHO), every new born baby has the right to good nutrition according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• As per the data collected by the United Nations Globally in 2016, 41 million children are obese in the world while 155 million children under 5 were estimated to be stunted (too short for age).
• Breastfeeding reduces the risk of developing breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease in the mother.
• It prevents infections like early-stage diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections; also, it reduces the infant mortality rate.
• According to the WHO data, it is estimated that increased breastfeeding could avert 20,000 maternal deaths each year due to breast cancer.

Know! more about breastfeeding week

• It was first observed in 1992 by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and is now celebrated in more than 120 countries by UNICEF, WHO and their partners including individuals, organizations, and governments.

Prelims Factoids
Journalist Ravish Kumar Wins 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Ramon Magsaysay award)
What's the NEWS

• Eminent journalist Ravish Kumar wins Magsaysay Award for 2019 on August 2, 2019. Ramon Magsaysay Award is the highest honour given to Asian individuals and organisations.
• Ravish Kumar has been awarded for "harnessing journalism to give voice to the voiceless". This award is known as the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

Know! more about it

• Ravish Kumar is among the five recipients of Ramon Magsaysay Award. The award citation says that Ravish Kumar's ‘Prime Time' programme deals with real-life, under-reported problems of ordinary people.
• The award citation describes Ravish Kumar as a sober, well-informed and incisive anchor who has been highly vocal on insisting that the professional values of balanced, fact-based reporting be upheld in practice.

Know! the other winners of Magsaysay Award 2019

• Apart from Ravish Kumar, the other winners of the Magsaysay Award 2019 are - Myanmar's Ko Swe Win (Journalist), Thailand's Angkhana Neelapajit (Human Rights Activist), Philippines' Raymundo Pujante Cayabyab (Musician), and South Korea's Kim Jong-Ki (Activist working with violence and mental health issues in youth).

Know! about Ramon Magsaysay Award

• Ramon Magsaysay Award was established in 1957 by trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
• The award is also known as the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
• The award is named after the 3rd president of Republic of Philippines Ramon Magsaysay.
• Awardees are presented with a certificate and a medallion with an embossed image of Ramon Magsaysay facing right in profile

The Previous Indian Winners

• RK Laxman, P Sainath, Arun Shourie, Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal

Economic Developments
GDP Ranking 2018
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the GDP ranking 2018 and its findings ) + Mains ( GS III economic development)

What's the NEWS

• India has slipped down to the 7^th place in the global GDP rankings of 2018, reveals data compiled by the World Bank.
• According to the 2017 World Bank report, India had become the fifth largest economy, displacing UK and France.
• According to the 2018 data, the UK and France once again moved ahead of India to reclaim their 5^th and 6th spots respectively in the global GDP rankings.

Know! more about the Global GDP rankings 2018

• The United States continues to top the list with a GDP of $20.5 trillion, followed by China at second place with GDP of $13.6 trillion and Japan at third place with a GDP of $5 trillion.
• India recorded a GDP of $2.73 trillion in 2018, which is less than that of the UK and France, which had a GDP of $2.82 trillion and $2.78 trillion respectively in the same year.
• India had emerged as the fifth largest economy in 2017, pushing ahead of the UK and France in the global GDP table. While the UK was pushed to sixth place, France was pushed to the seventh position. In the Global GDP rankings of 2017, India had recorded a GDP of $2.65 trillion, while the UK's GDP was $2.64 trillion and France's $2.59 trillion.

Know! the reasons for India's economic slowdown

• The drop in India's position on the global GDP table reflects the slump in India's overall economic growth.
• India's GDP in 2018 shows a growth of mere 3.01 percent in dollar terms in 2018, as against 15.72 percent in 2017. On the other hand, the UK's GDP grew by 6.81 percent and France's economy expanded by 7.33 percent.
• India has slipped to the 7^th place in Global GDP ranking due to currency fluctuations and a slowdown in economic growth.
• While in 2017, the Indian rupee had appreciated by 3 percent against the dollar, in 2018 it depreciated by 5 percent against the dollar.
• India is, however, still the fastest-growing major economy in the world. According to a research firm, IHS Markit, India will overtake the UK as the fifth-largest economy in the world in 2019 and is likely to even overtake Japan and emerge as the third-largest economy by 2025.

$5 trillion economy by 2024-25

• In the Union Budget 2019-20, the Indian government set a goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy by 2025.
• To achieve this goal, India will need to sustain a GDP growth rate of 8 percent. India has identified certain key areas to boost work upon such as Indian MSMEs, increasing focus on private investment, introducing people-centric policies and invoking a behavioral change to address issues such as gender equality, a healthy and a beautiful India, savings, tax compliance and credit quality.

Defence
India successfully test-fires 2 quick reaction surface-to-air missiles
Relevance IN - Prelims (about QRSAM)

What's the NEWS

• India successfully conducted two back-to-back flight tests of its state-of-the-art quick reaction surface-to-air missiles (QRSAM) against live aerial targets from a base in Odisha
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test-fired the two missiles from the integrated test range (ITR) at Chandipur.
• Two missiles were tested against two live targets meeting complete mission objectives of engaging the targets.

Know! more about QRSAM

• QRSAM, with many state-of-the-art technologies, engaged the targets at different ranges and altitudes
• The entire mission was captured by various electro-optical tracking systems, radar systems and telemetry systems.
• The all-weather and all-terrain QRSAM system has been developed for the Army, with search and track on the move capability having a very short reaction time.
• The systems are equipped with indigenously-developed phased array radar, inertial navigation system, data link and RF seeker
• The missile, which can be mounted on a truck and stored in a canister, is equipped with electronic counter measures against jamming by aircraft radars
• QRSAM uses solid-fuel propellant and has a range of 25-30 km. The first trial of the QSRAM was conducted on June 4, 2017. On February 26, 2019, two rounds of trials were successfully carried out on the same day
• The two missiles were tested for different altitude and conditions. The test flights had successfully demonstrated their aerodynamics, propulsion, structural performance and high manoeuvring capabilities
  
  

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