Daily News Analysis 26th October 2018

Daily News Analysis (Prelims + Mains) – 26th October 2018

General Study – I

Topic:

Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events,
personalities, issues.

International Arya Mahasammelan – 2018

The President of India inaugurated the International Arya Mahasammelan – 2018 in Delhi.

Main objective behind the mega event of IAMS are

Spread the message of human welfare originating from Vedas and to promote the principles of universal brotherhood,
To eradicate the enmity between various sects / religions and to make the whole world NOBLE – Krinvanto Vishvamaryam.
Broad level exchange of experiences and ideas between the Aryans working in different parts of the world.
IAMS demonstrates new means of advanced technologies and innovative methodologies to and through Aryans for sharing the principles and ideologies of Arya Samaj in the fast-changing scenario of the world.

The aim is to put together all the good that we can gather and let it guide us for the cause of humanity.

Arya Samaj

Maharshi Swami Dayanand Saraswati had started a new era in history of mankind with

founding of Arya Samaj On April 10th, 1875, in Bombay.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati was one of the makers of modern India and highly inspired by Vedas.

His famous slogan “Go Back to the Vedas” created consciousness among the people. Monumental work – Satyartha Prakash is an interpretation of the Vedas.

Launched the Shuddhi (purification) movement, conversion of non-Hindus to Hinduism. Motive is to realise the ideal of unifying India notionally, socially, and religiously.

Swami Dayanada, through the Arya Samaj, tried to reform the Hindu society and religion.

With an indigenous orientation, he wanted to bring a new social, religious, economic and political order.

Arya Samaj Criticized and strongly opposed evil practices like idolatry, caste system, untouchability, ritualism, animal-sacrifice, polytheism, concept of heaven and hell and etc.

Arya Samaj to prevent child marriage, fixed the minimum marriageable age at 25 years for boys and 16 for girls. Inter-caste marriage and widow remarriage were encouraged. It opened orphanages and widow homes at various religious places.

Arya Samaj has also attempted to give a new direction to education. Reviving ‘Gurukula’ pattern, an ancient system of Hindu education, has been its goal. The higher level, the value of English education was recognised. The Arya Samaj has a widespread network of Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) schools and colleges throughout India.

Arya Samaj simplified Hinduism and made Hindus conscious of their glorious heritage and superior value of Vedic knowledge.

Lala Hansraj, Pandit Guru Dutt, Lala Lajpat Rai and Swami Sraddhananda are also prominent arya samaj leaders.

Topic

Indian culture will cover the salient aspects ofArt Forms, literature andArchitecture from ancient to modern times.

Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony

The Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony for the years 2014, 2015 & 2016 is being conferred on the doyen of Manipuri dance Sh. Rajkumar Singhajit Singh, Chhayanaut (a cultural organization of Bangladesh) and on one of India’s greatest sculptors, Sh. Ram Vanji Sutar, respectively.

Shri Rajkumar Singhajit Singh

Doyen of Manipuri dance, has distinguished himself both as an outstanding teacher, performer and choreographer.

His work over the years bears witness to his creativity within the framework of traditional Manipuri dance.

His choreography has been enriched by elements incorporated from various forms of performing arts of Manipur such as Thang-ta, Nata-Sankirtana, Lai-haraoba and Rasleela.

The award recognizes his contribution in keeping the tradition of Manipuri dance alive and vibrant, promoting harmony through dance and also pays tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, who, deeply influenced by Manipuri dance, made it an integral part of the education curriculum at Visva Bharati.

Chhayanaut

It was established in 1961, has played a leading role in promoting Tagore’s works and Bengali culture, music and literature not only within Bangladesh, but all across the world.

It has built a close bridge of understanding and cultural exchange between Bangladesh and India, especially West Bengal.

Chhayanaut was part of the movement for an independent Bangladesh and provided a platform for cultural expression and assertion of Bengali identity.

When Rabindra Sangeet was banned in East Pakistan, Chhayanaut continued to promote liberal expression through secret renditions of Tagore songs and discussions on Tagore.

The award recognizes the contribution of the organization in upholding the liberal progressive tradition of universal humanism of Gurudev and in promoting the spirit of cultural harmony.

Sh. Ram Vanji Sutar

He is One of the greatest living sculptors of India and created more than fifty monumental sculptures in the last forty years of his career.

Beginning of his career, he was involved in restoring several ancient sculptures found in the caves of Ellora and Ajanta.

First notable work was the 45 feet Chambal monument at the Gandhi Sagar Dam, in Madhya Pradesh. This gigantic masterpiece carved out of a single block depicts mother Chambal with her two children- Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan symbolizing the brotherhood of the two states.

His iconic bust of Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most celebrated representations of the Mahatma, as is his bronze bust of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

The award recognizes his outstanding contribution to the preservation of Indian culture and its artistic tradition.

About Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) born to Bengali family in Calcutta.
Most influential writer, poet and artist in Bengal and also India in the early 20^th
His mastery spread over many arenas like art, literature, poetry, drama, music and learning.
Tagore composed over 2000 songs and his songs and music are called ‘Rabindra sangeet’ with its own distinct lyrical and fluid style.
The national anthems of both India and Bangladesh were composed by Tagore. (India’s Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh’s Amar Shonar Bangla.)
Tagore had composed Amar Shonar Bangla in 1905 in the wake of the Bengal partition to foster a spirit of unity and patriotism among Bengalis.
He also used the Raksha Bandhan festival to bring about a feeling of brotherhood among Bengal’s Hindus and Muslims during the partition of 1905. He was fiercely against to the partition.
First non-European to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 for his translation of his own work in Bengali, Gitanjali and also First non-white person to win a Nobel Prize.
Given Knighthood by the British government in 1915. But he later renounced it protesting against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919.
Tagore is responsible for modernising Bengali prose and poetry. Notable works are Gitanjali, Ghare-Baire, Gora, Manasi, Balaka, Sonar Tori, He is also remembered for his famous song ‘Ekla Chalo Re’.
He is mostly reffered as Gurudeva , Bard of Bengal .
In 1918, founded the Vishwabharati University at Santiniketan. He was staunchly against the classroom kind of education and believed it stifled creativity.
He was a travelled widely met many other eminent personalities like Albert Einstein, Romain Rolland, Robert Frost, G B Shaw, Thomas Mann, etc.
He had spoken at the World Parliament for Religions in the years 1929 and 1937.
He was First one to call Gandhiji as Mahatma.

The annual award was instituted by the Government of India during the commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

The first Tagore Award was conferred on Pt. Ravi Shankar, the Indian Sitar Maestro in 2012 and second was conferred on Shri Zubin Mehta in 2013.

The award carries an amount of Rs. 1 crore, a citation in a scroll, a plaque as well as an exquisite traditional handicraft/ handloom item.

The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or sex.

General Study – II

Topic:

Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions

Context: Disqualification of T.N. MLAs upheld

Why in news?

18 MLAs in Tamil Nadu were disqualified by the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker.

Reason

The disqualified legislators belong to a faction of the AIADMK that opposes to the ruling dispensation.
They gave a memorandum to the Governor expressing lack of confidence in the present Chief Minister.
The Speaker interpreted it as amounting to “voluntarily giving up” their party membership.

Judicial review

Tenth Schedule of the Constitution describes that provisions relating to disqualification of members of parliament and state legislatures on ground of defection. The 10^th schedule was added by the 52^nd Amendment Act of 1985.
The Speaker’s decision under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution is subject to judicial review.
If it is challenged, the courts will have to decide whether legislators withdrawing support to their own party’s government amounts to voluntarily giving up their membership.

Court Observation:

Multiple grounds, including malafide, perversity and non-adherence to the principles of natural justice.
Disqualified MLAs had failed to prove their allegations of the Speaker passing the order with ulterior motives.
The Speaker being the sole and ultimate authority to decide the issue pertaining to disqualification…malafides cannot ordinarily be inferred.
Taking into consideration the high office of the Speaker and powers conferred on him under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law) to the Constitution, cannot draw such an inference on the basis of conjectures and surmises.”

Topic for Prelims

IMPRESS

The Union Minister for Human Resource Development launched the web portal of the Scheme “Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences (IMPRESS)” in New Delhi

IMPRESS scheme is at a total cost of Rs.414 Cr for implementation up to 31.3.2021 and Indian Council of Social Science and Research (ICSSR) will be the project implementing agency.

Under the Scheme, 1500 research projects will be awarded for 2 years to support the social science research in the higher educational institutions and to enable research to guide policy making.

Objectives of the scheme are

To identify and fund research proposals in social sciences with maximum impact on the governance and society.
To focus research on broad thematic areas (11) such as : State and Democracy, Urban transformation, Media, Culture and Society, Employment, Skills and Rural transformation, Governance, Innovation and Public Policy, Growth, Macro-trade and Economic Policy, Agriculture and Rural Development, Health and Environment, Science and Education, Social Media and Technology, Politics, Law and Economics.
The Sub-Theme areas will be decided on the basis of Expert Groups’ advice before notifying the scheme and calling for applications.
To ensure selection of projects through a transparent, competitive process on online mode.
To provide opportunity for social science researchers in any institution in the country, including all Universities (Central and State), private institutions with 12(B) status conferred by UGC.
ICSSR funded/recognised research institutes will also be eligible to submit research proposals on the given themes and sub-themes.

SPARC

The Union Minister for Human Resource Development launched web portal of the Scheme “Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC)” in New Delhi.

SPARC scheme aims at improving the research ecosystem of India’s higher educational institutions by facilitating academic and research collaborations between Indian Institutions and the best institutions in the world.

Under this Scheme, 600 joint research proposals will be awarded for 2 years to facilitate strong research collaboration between Indian research groups with the best in class faculty and renowned research groups in the leading universities of the world, in areas that are at the cutting edge of science or with direct social relevance to the mankind, specifically India

SPARC scheme total cost of Rs.418 Cr for implementation up to 31.3.2020 and Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur is the National Coordinating Institute to implement the scheme.

Salient Features of SPARC are:

This scheme will improve research ecosystem of India’s higher educational institutions by facilitating academic and research collaborations between Indian Institutions [overall top-100 or category-wise top-100 in NIRF ( including such Private Institutions which are recognized under 12(B) of UGC Act)] and the best institutions in the world (top-500 overall and top-200 subject-wise institutions listed in QS World University Ranking) from 28 selected nations to jointly solve problems of national and international relevance.
5 Thrust Areas are Fundamental Research, Emergent Areas of Impact, Convergence, Action-Oriented Research and Innovation-Driven and sub-theme areas in each thrust area has been identified for collaboration under SPARC based on emergent relevance and importance for the nation.
Each Thrust Area will have a Section Chair. The role of Section Chair of each Thrust Area is to review shortlist and recommend the potential joint-proposals submitted under SPARC scheme.

SPARC proposes to enable productive academic cooperation by supporting the following critical components that can catalyze impact making research:

Visits and long-term stay of top international faculty/researchers in Indian institutions to pursue teaching and research,
Visits by Indian students for training and experimentation in premier laboratories worldwide,

Joint development of niche courses, world-class books and monographs, translatable patents, demonstrable technologies or action oriented research outcomes and products,

Publication , Dissemination and Visibility through a high profile annual international conference in India .

This Scheme is expected to have a major impact in providing the best international expertise to address major national problems, expose Indian academicians to the best collaborators abroad, enable international faculty to stay in India for a longer duration, provide Indian students an opportunity to work in the world class laboratories, to develop strong bilateral relationships in research, and improve the international ranking of Indian Institutes.

India Mobile Congress

India Mobile Congress (IMC) is one of the biggest marquee Mobile, Internet, and Technology event for South and South-East Asia, with the theme, “New Digital Horizons – Connect. Create. Innovate.”

IMC 2018 began on a grand-scale at Aero City, New Delhi with over 300 companies, 20 countries participating in this prestigious event in the Asia Pacific region.

IMC comprises of ASEAN and BIMSTEC Ministerial Conclave, Partner Programs in Digital India, Smart Cities, Emerging Technologies, Make in India projects, Skill Harmonization, Business Innovation and Knowledge Sharing.

There are Events like Technology exhibition, offering a peek into connected villages, virtual and augmented reality, connected cars, m-health, smart wearables, smart home, artificial intelligence, robotics, smart energy, internet of things, block chain, and machine learning among other things.

IMC 2018 holds a special plenary session on upcoming network technologies such as 5G.

During IMC, National Frequency Allocation Plan 2018 (NFAP) was unveiled during the inauguration presenting a pioneering roadmap for the Indian digital communications industry.

Also Ministry of Communications announced that the Indian telecom industry will rollout one million WiFi hotspots in the country by December 2019, which is another step towards the digital empowerment of the nation.