Daily Current affairs - August 25th, 2017 for all competitive exams
The Supreme Court has ruled right to privacy is intrinsic to the entire fundamental rights chapter of the Constitution.
- The court has held that “the right to privacy is
protected as intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty
under Article 21 and as a part of the freedoms guaranteed by Part III of
the Constitution”.
- The court has, with broad brushstrokes, enhanced and
highlighted the right. Crucially, it has indicated that the contours of
privacy mentioned in the judgment are not limitations to the right but
foundations, over which it will develop over time.
- The Supreme Court was hearing a challenge to the
Delhi high court’s September 23, 2016 order by which it allowed WhatsApp
to roll out its new privacy policy but stopped it from sharing the data of
its users collected up to September 25, 2016, with Facebook or any other
related company.
- This will have a massive impact on Aadhaar-based
litigation. A separate Bench of the court will examine the Aadhar issue.
This verdict examines the constitutional status of the right to privacy
and strengthens the ordinary Indian’s privacy from being invaded.
Government cannot be arbitrary and this verdict has paved the way for
growth of jurisprudence on privacy rights in India.
Govt eases norms under UDAN 2
The civil aviation ministry has relaxed the norms for its flagship regional
flying scheme called UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) to allow for greater
connectivity.
- The relaxations include dilution of the exclusivity
clause mandating that only one airline may fly on one route in the initial
years.
- The norms that restricted two airports in close proximity
from participating in the bidding has also been relaxed.
- The scheme, Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik, which loosely translates as “let the common man fly”,
proposes that at least half the seats on every flight should have a fare
cap of Rs2,500 per seat per hour of flying.
NITI Aayog’s 3-Year Agenda
NITI Aayog has come out with a detailed plan for reforms in the economy,
judiciary, regulatory structure and social sectors, in the three-year document
to be implemented from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
- NITI Aayog’s three year action agenda has set stiff
economic targets and meeting those would benefit the economy.
- According to the ‘Three-Year Action Agenda’ India
has good prospects of achieving over 8% growth within 2-3 years.
Therefore, the chances of massive cut in the poverty rate in the upcoming
decade are excellent.
SC order on right to privacy sparks fresh debate on
Section 377
The Supreme Court’s ruling that held the right to privacy is a fundamental
right recognizes a new ground which lights the way to future judgements on the
controversial Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalizes
homosexuality.
- The court in its judgement said, “It is an
individual’s choice as to who enters his house, how he lives and in what
relationship. The privacy of the home must protect the family, marriage,
procreation and sexual orientation, which are all important aspects of
dignity.”
- With this, the debate on Section 377, marked by
demands by LGBT and human rights activists to decriminalize homosexuality,
is set to be revived by Thursday’s judgement.
- Section 377 of IPC — which came into
force in 1862 — defines unnatural offences. It says, “Whoever voluntarily
has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or
animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment
of either description for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall
also be liable to fine.”
The return of the Irrawaddy
dolphin
The first sighting of the
endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in the Rambha sector of Chilika lake in three
decades has brought much cheer to nature lovers.
- Chilika is the natural abode of the
highly endangered Irrawaddy dolphin ( Orcaella brevirostris ).
The total population of these animals in the world is estimated to be less
than 7,500. Of these, the highest — 6,400 — was reported from Bangladesh.
The population in Chilika is considered to be the highest single lagoonal
population.
- Chilika had registered a marginal
drop in population of Irrawaddy dolphins from 144 in 2015 to 134 this
year. Dolphins are usually seen in Satapada sector of the lake.
Bilateral Meeting Between
India and Uzbekistan Held in New Delhi
The Commerce and Industries
Minister, Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman and Mr. Abdulaziz Kamilov, Minister of
Foreign Affairs and Mr. Elyor Ganiev, Minister of Foreign Trade held detailed
discussions on deepening trade and economic ties between India and
Uzbekistan in a bilateral meeting in New Delhi.
- Commerce Minister expressed
happiness on the formation of an Uzbek India Trading House at
Delhi as a Joint Venture Company.
Indian Navy Band Participates
in International Military Music Festival in Russia
The International Military
Music Festival "Spasskaya Tower" is the parade of the best
military music bands of Russia and other countries that takes place
every year at Red Square in Moscow. This time Indian Navy Band is
participating in the festival.
- Every year about 1500 musicians,
military men and other artists from around 40 countries perform at the
"Spasskaya Tower". The Festival is duly considered one of the
largest international events in Russia and attracts tremendous response of the general public.
China agrees to tackle trade
imbalance
China has agreed to send a high-level
official team led by Commerce Minister Zhong Shan by December-end to address
the issue of growing trade imbalance with India. The development could be
termed a breakthrough for India which faces a ballooning goods trade deficit
with its neighbour.
- China — which was earlier
dilly-dallying on a bilateral meeting on the issue despite India’s
repeated requests — has now relented
- This assumes significance as it
comes amid reports of the possibility of the ongoing Doklam stand-off
hurting bilateral trade ties.
- The trade deficit was $52.7
billion in 2015-16.
In China, publishers admit to
self-censorship
Just days after the world’s oldest publisher
briefly caved in to Chinese censorship demands, international publishing houses
are courting importers at a Beijing book fair, with some admitting they keep
sensitive topics off their pages.
- The censorship controversy that
hit Cambridge University Press (CUP) sent a chill along the stands staffed
by publishers from nearly 90 countries at the Beijing International Book
Fair, which opened on Wednesday.
- But some acknowledged their
companies had already resorted to self-censorship to ensure that their
books do not offend and are published in China.
RBI Newly Introduced Rs
50 and Rs 200 Notes
The Reserve Bank of
India will shortly issue Rs 50 denomination banknotes in the
Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series, bearing the signature of Dr. Urjit R.
Patel, Governor, Reserve Bank of India.
- The new denomination of Rs.50
has a motif of Hampi with Chariot on the reverse, depicting the country’s cultural heritage. The
base colour of the note is Fluorescent Blue. The
dimension of the banknote will be 66 mm x 135 mm.
- The new denomination of Rs.200
has a motif of Sanchi Stupa on the
reverse, depicting the country’s cultural heritage. The base colour of the
note is Bright Yellow. The dimension of the
banknote will be 66 mm x 146 mm.
Raghuram Rajan Pens Book 'I Do
What I Do' on his RBI Stint
Former RBI Governor Raghuram
Rajan has penned a book titled 'I Do What I Do: On Reform, Rhetoric &
Resolve'. Raghuram Rajan explains economic concepts and talks of issues
like tolerance and connection between political freedom and prosperity in his
new book.
- The book is a collection of essays
and speeches during his stint as Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor. The
book will hit stores on 4 September, exactly a year after he quit as the
RBI governor.
Tata Sons appoints Roopa
Purushothaman as Chief Economist
Tata Sons has roped in
Everstone Capital’s head of research Roopa Purushothaman as its chief economist
and head of policy advocacy.
- Ms. Purushothaman will drive
macro-economic research as well as all policy and advocacy initiatives
relevant to the businesses of the Tata Group.
Nilekani back at Infosys as Chairman
IT major Infosys announced
that its board had unanimously approved the appointment of Nandan Nilekani as
non-executive chairman of the board, “effective immediately.”
- Mr. Nilekani’s appointment also
saw Ravi Venkatesan step down as co-chairman, while remaining on the board
as an independent director.
- The 62-year-old electrical
engineer was the CEO at Infosys from 2002 to 2007 and served as
co-chairman of the board before his departure in 2009 to head the
government’s Aadhaar programme.
India’s Oldest Cinematographer
Ramananda Sengupta Passes Away
Country's oldest
cinematographer Ramanda Sengupta, who worked with legends like Jean Renoir,
Ritwik Ghatak, and Mrinal Sen, died in Kolkata, West Bengal.
- Sengupta was 101 years old. He got
his first break in 1938 when he joined Film Corporation of India in
Kolkata (then Calcutta) as an assistant cameraman. His first film as a
full-time cinematographer was in Purbaraag directed by Ardhendu Mukherjee
in 1946.
Tony de Brum Passes Away
Tony de Brum, the
former Marshall Islands foreign minister who became a leading
advocate for the landmark Paris Climate Agreement and an
internationally recognised voice in the fight against climate change,
has died aged 72.
- De Brum was also the Pacific
nation’s climate ambassador.
