30/11/2016 InsightsDailyCurrentAffairs,30November2016INSIGHTS

InsightsDailyCurrentAffairs,30November2016
insightsonindia.com/2016/11/30/insightsdailycurrentaffairs30november2016/

INSIGHTS 30/11/2016

InsightsDailyCurrentAffairs,30November2016

Paper3Topic:Conservation,environmentalpollutionanddegradation,environmentalimpact
assessment.

AustraliasGreatBarriefReefseeslargestcoraldieoffever

Asperarecentlyconductedstudy,amassbleachingeventontheGreatBarrierReefthisyearkilledmorecorals
thaneverbeforesoundingthealarmoverthedelicateecosystem.The2,300kilometreGreatbarrierreefin
Australiaistheworldsbiggest.

Highlightsofthestudy:

Mostofthelossesin2016haveoccurredinthenorthern,mostpristinepartoftheGreatBarrierReef.
Thereefsuffereditsmostseverebleachinginrecordedhistory,duetowarmingseatemperaturesduring
MarchandApril,withthenorthernthirdbearingthebrunt.
EnvironmentalistshavecalledforAustraliatoabandoncoalminingtohelppreventfurtherbleaching
disasters.
Scientistsestimatethenorthernregion,whichteemswithmarinelife,willtakeatleast1015yearsto
regainlostcorals.

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Howbleachingoccurs?

Bleachingoccurswhenabnormalenvironmentalconditions,suchaswarmerseatemperatures,causecoralsto
expeltinyphotosyntheticalgae,drainingthemoftheircolour.

Algaearevitaltothecoral,whichusestheorganicproductsofphotosynthesistohelpitgrow.Thelossofalgae
makesthehostvulnerabletodiseaseandmeansitwilleventuallydie.

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Cancoralrecover?

Yes.Coralcanrecoverifthewatertemperaturedropsandthealgaeareabletorecolonisethem.

Sources:thehindu.

Paper3Topic:Disasteranddisastermanagement.

ISROdroneshelpmapdisastersinnortheast

TheShillongbasedNorthEasternSpaceApplicationsCentre(NESAC)oftheIndianSpaceResearch
Organisationhastestedunmannedaerialvehicles(UAVs)toassessseveralregionalproblems,rangingfrom
measuringdiseasedpaddyfieldstodamagecausedbyfrequentlandslidesinthenortheasternregionofthe
country.

Keyfacts:

NESAChastakentheinitiativefordesignandassemblingofUAVsforvariousapplications.UAVscan
performefficientsurveysfordisasterproneorphysicallyinaccessibleareas,quickdamageassessmentof
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landslides,floodsandearthquakesandenabletimelyreliefmeasures.
AmongvariousservicesprovidedonrequesttothenortheasternStatesusingthedrones,NESAC
mappedtheareaaffectedbylandslidesalongMeghalayaslifeline,NH40.Itgavetheextentofdamage
causedtopestinfestedpaddyfieldsinNaramarivillageofAssam.
DronebasedstudiesarenewandcurrentlyconfinedtofewnortheasternStates.DatafromISROs
remotesensingsatellitesaregenerallycombinedwithgroundbaseddetails.Useofdronescutsmuchleg
workthatgroundsurveyorsmusttakeup.

AboutNESAC:

NESAC,locatedatUmiam(nearShillong),Meghalaya,isajointinitiativeofDOSandNorthEasternCouncilto
providedevelopmentalsupporttotheNorthEasternregionusingspacescienceandtechnology.

TheNEcentrewasstartedintheyear2000toprovideSpacetechnologybasedcommunicationand
technologysupporttotheregion.
ThecentrehasthemandatetodevelophightechnologyinfrastructuresupporttoenableNEstatesto
adoptspacetechnologyinputsfortheirdevelopment.
Atpresent,NESACisprovidingdevelopmentalsupportbyundertakingspecificapplicationprojectsusing
remotesensing,GIS,satellitecommunicationandconductingspacescienceresearch.

Sources:thehindu.

Paper2Topic:ImportantInternationalinstitutions,agenciesandfora,theirstructure,mandate.

AIIBdrivenbyprojectsandnotpolitics:Alexander

TheAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank(AIIB),conceivedandhostedbyChina,isessentiallyamultilateral
developmentbankthatisdrivensolelybythequalityofprojectsandnotpolitics,accordingtoitsVice
President,DannyAlexander.

Background:

ThisclarificationcameagainstthebackdropofIndiasstrategicconcernsregardingtheChinaPakistan
EconomicCorridor(CPEC)thatcoversareasincludingPakistanoccupiedKashmir.CPECisthesocalled
flagshipprojectofChinasOneBeltOneRoad(OBOR)initiative,aimedatdevelopinginfrastructureinmore
than60countries.OBORisamongthosethatwillgetAIIBfunding.

AboutAIIB:

TheAIIBwasestablishedasanewmultilateralfinancialinstitutionaimedatprovidingfinancialsupportfor
infrastructuredevelopmentandregionalconnectivityinAsia.

ItwasfoundedinOctober,2014,andwillhaveitsheadquartersinBeijing.
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Itsgoalsarealsotoboosteconomicdevelopmentintheregion,createwealth,proveinfrastructure,and
promoteregionalcooperationandpartnership.
ThevalueofAIIBsauthorizedcapitalamountsto$100billion,withalmost$30billioninvestedbyChina.
Thebankexpectstolend$10billionto$15billionayearforthefirstfiveyearsofitsoperations,beginning
inthesecondquarterof2016.
IndiaisaninfluentialmemberoftheAIIBasithasthesecondlargestvotingshareandpercentageof
shares(nextonlytoChina)inthemultilateralinstitutionthathas57membercountries.

Sources:thehindu.

Paper3Topic:Conservation,environmentalpollutionanddegradation,environmentalimpact
assessment.

Industriesshoulduserecycledgroundwater

TheWaterMinistryisplanningamendmentstoaBillongroundwatermanagementthatwillimposerestrictions
onhowcompanies,farmersandvariousgroupscanusegroundwater.

Keyprovisions:

Industriescanonlyuserecycledwater,andactivitiessuchasgardeningwouldrequiretheuseoftreated
sewagewater.
Extractingpristinewaterfromaquifiers,thenorminmuchofthecountry,wouldbesharplyregulated.
Failingtoadheretothiswouldinvitestringentpunishment.

Background:

Earlierthisyear,theMinistryhadmadepublicadraftBillthatproposedsignificantchangestotheway
groundwaterwouldberegulated.

Thisincludedguaranteeingeveryindividualacertainamountofwaterforlifeandprotecting
groundwaterfromundueexploitationandpollutionaswellasmandatingtheuseofrainwaterharvestingin
residentialprojects.
However,thisversionoftheBillonlydemandsthatusersgiveprioritytorecyclingwateranddoesnot
compelcompaniesandotherstakeholderstouserecycledwater.

Whyalawinthisregardisnecessary?

Groundwaterdepletionisamongthegraveecologicalthreatsthatthecountryfaces.Around85%ofdrinking
waterand65%ofwaterforirrigationissourcedfromgroundwater.However,previousplanstoaddressthe
problemshavebeenstalledaswaterisaStatesubjectand,existinglawsgivetheownersofapieceofland
completerightoveritsgroundwater.

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Sources:thehindu.

Paper2Topic:IssuesrelatingtodevelopmentandmanagementofSocialSector/Servicesrelating
toHealth,Education,HumanResources,issuesrelatingtopovertyandhunger.

Sonhasnolegalrightinparentshouse,canstayattheirmercy:HC

Inasignificantmove,theDelhiHighCourthasruledthatasoncannotclaimarighttoliveintheselfacquired
houseofhisparentsandcandosoonlyattheirmercy.

Importantobservationsmadebythecourt:

Asoncanresideinaselfacquiredpropertyofhisparentssolongastheydesireandcannotclaimalegal
righttostaythere,irrespectiveofhismaritalstatus.
Merelybecausetheparentshaveallowedhimtoliveinthehousewhentheirrelationswerecordialdoes
notmeantheyhavetobearhisburdenthroughoutlife.

Background:

TheHighCourtwashearinganappealagainstalowercourtsorderaskingamanandhiswifetovacatethefirst
floorofhisparentspropertyinDelhi.

Sources:thehindu.

Paper2Topic:Structure,organizationandfunctioningoftheExecutiveandtheJudiciary
MinistriesandDepartmentsoftheGovernmentpressuregroupsandformal/informalassociations
andtheirroleinthePolity.

Evennilvacancieswontcutbacklog:Report

AstudyorderedbytheSupremeCourtshowsthatmorejudgesintheHighCourts,orevenfillingallthe
vacanciesinthem,doesnotnecessarilyendpendency.ThestudywasconductedbytheNationalCourt
ManagementSystemsCommittee(NCMSC).

Background:

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ThetwoyearstudywascommissionedbythecourtthroughanorderdatedAugust20,2014while
hearingImtiyazAhmadversusStateofUttarPradesh.
ThecourthaddirectedthecommitteetostudytherecommendationsmadebytheLawCommissionof
Indiaonpendencyandtherelationbetweenbacklogandjudgesstrength.

Highlightsofthestudy:

ThestudynotesthatnotasingleHighCourthasbeenabletoeliminatebacklogevenwhenvacanciesare
nonexistentorverylow(sayzeroto20%).
ThestudyalsoquestionsChiefJusticeThakursrecentobservationthat70,000judgesarerequiredto
clearpendency.
Thecommitteesaysblindlyincreasingjudicialstrengthwiththesoleaimtohiketherateofdisposalof
casesandavoidbacklogwasskewedlogic.Infact,itsaid,avoidingbacklogseemstobethecentraland
soleobjectiveofhavingmorejudgesintheHighCourts.
Accordingtothestudy,thecurrentmethodofcalculatingjudgesstrengthinHighCourtsisnotscientificor
robust,norhasitproduceddesiredresultsofpendencyresolution.
Thereportcallsforalongtermscientificmethodtoassessthenumberofjudgesrequiredinacourt.It
saidjudgesstrengthshouldbeaugmentedaftercalculatingthejudicialhoursrequiredtohearand
disposeofcasesonthebasisoftheirindividualnatureandcomplexity.

Background:

Effectivejudicialstrengthhasnotexpandedadequatelytomeettherisinginflowofcasesinthecountry.Inthe
lastfiveyears,thenumberofnewcasesfiledintheHighCourtsofIndiahasincreasedby24%andpendencyby
32%.Yet,effectivejudgestrengthhasincreasedonlyby8.5%.

Only49judgeshavebeenaddedtotheeffectivestrengthofHighCourtsinfiveyearsinthewholecountryto
dealwith3.72lakhadditionalnewcasesthismeansanaverageof7,591casespernewjudgeand7.2lakh
additionalpendencyattherateof14,693casespernewjudge.

Sources:thehindu.

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