IASbaba Monthly Current Affairs Magzine July 2018

235 Pages·2017·5.66 MB·English

A MONTHLY
COMPILATION OF
IMPORTANT
CURRENT AFFAIRS
FOR UPSC
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Are we witnessing a new era of global trade war? How will it
impact world trade? What will be its implications for India?
To know more of this and many other contemporary issues,
read on!
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PREFACE
With the present shift in examination pattern of UPSC Civil Services Examination, ‘General
Studies – II and General Studies III’ can safely be replaced with ‘Current Affairs’. Moreover,
following the recent trend of UPSC, almost all the questions are issue-based rather than news-
based. Therefore, the right approach to preparation is to prepare issues, rather than just
reading news.
Taking this into account, our website www.iasbaba.com will cover current affairs focusing more
on ‘issues’ on a daily basis. This will help you pick up relevant news items of the day from
various national dailies such as The Hindu, Indian Express, Business Standard, LiveMint,
Business Line and other important Online sources. Over time, some of these news items will
become important issues.
UPSC has the knack of picking such issues and asking general opinion based questions.
Answering such questions will require general awareness and an overall understanding of the
issue. Therefore, we intend to create the right understanding among aspirants – ‘How to cover
these issues?
This is the 38th edition of IASbaba’s Monthly Magazine. This edition covers all important issues
that were in news in the month of JULY 2018 which can be accessed from
https://iasbaba.com/current-affairs-for-ias-upsc-exams/

VALUE ADDITIONS FROM IASBABA
 Must Read and Connecting the dots.
 Also, we have introduced Prelim and mains focused snippets and Test Your Knowledge
(Prelims MCQs based on daily current affairs) which shall guide you for better revision.
 ‘Must Read’ section, will give you important links to be read from exam perspective.
This will make sure that, you don’t miss out on any important news/editorials from
various newspapers on daily basis.
 Under each news article, ‘Connecting the dots’ facilitates your thinking to connect and
ponder over various aspects of an issue. Basically, it helps you in understanding an issue
from multi-dimensional view-point. You will understand its importance while giving
Mains or Interview.
Must Read Articles: We have not included them in the magazine. Those following DNA on daily
basis may follow it- https://iasbaba.com/current-affairs-for-ias-upsc-exams/

“Tell my mistakes to me not to others, because these are to be corrected by me, not by them.”
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Contents

HISTORY/CULTURE .............................................................................................. 8
Bhakti saint Ramanuja ....................................................................................................................... 8
Saint Kabir's 500th Death Anniversary ............................................................................................ 9
Thanjavur painting and application of Raman spectroscopy ..................................................... 10
Ancient rock carving of Buddha: Swat Valley, Pakistan .............................................................. 11
Second century BCE Buddhist site at Thotlakonda in Visakhapatnam ..................................... 12
In pursuit to avoid deaths of Languages ....................................................................................... 14
Significance of Montagu-Chelmsford reforms ............................................................................. 16
POLITY/GOVERNANCE ...................................................................................... 19
Assessment: On the question of changing History or Constitution .......................................... 19
Assessment: ...................................................................................................................................... 22
1.Bhima-Koregaon issue and .......................................................................................................... 22
2.the fault in Unlawful Activities Prevention Act ......................................................................... 22
Reforms in the police forces ........................................................................................................... 24
Legalising Gambling? ....................................................................................................................... 25
SC verdict on Centre-Delhi power tussle (Part 1) ........................................................................ 27
Centre-Delhi power tussle (Part 2) ................................................................................................ 28
Government of NCT of Delhi v. Union of India ............................................................................. 28
Bringing accessibility and transparency in the administration of justice ................................. 30
Institutions of Eminence .................................................................................................................. 31
Concerns over proposed amendments to Right To Information Act 2005 .............................. 32
Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2018 .............................................................................. 33
Dilution of the Right to Information Act ....................................................................................... 34
About No-Confidence Motion ........................................................................................................ 37
Article 371A of the Indian Constitution: Special status to Nagaland ........................................ 37
Public Affairs Index 2018 ................................................................................................................. 38
West Bengal proposes to change its name as Bangla ................................................................. 38
SC on appointment of Lokpal.......................................................................................................... 40
Punjab seeks special category status............................................................................................. 42
SOCIAL ISSUE/WELFARE PROGRAMMES ........................................................... 43
Education and caste-based prejudice ............................................................................................ 43
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College principals to have fixed tenures: UGC ............................................................................. 44
AISHE - All India Survey on Higher Education report 2017-18 ................................................... 44
Section 377 of Indian Penal Code .................................................................................................. 45
SC Order On Sec 377 ........................................................................................................................ 48
Adultery must remain a punishable offence ................................................................................ 50
DRUG MENACE: Can death penalty alone deter drug trafficking and smuggling? ................. 51
Repatriation of Prisoners: A pact on transfer of prisoners ......................................................... 53
Assessment of March 2018 SC Verdict on SCs/STs Atrocities Act ............................................ 55
SC walking on tight rope between the narrow and the transformative approach ................. 57
WOMEN ISSUE .................................................................................................. 60
Crime against women-data and its flaws ...................................................................................... 60
Sabarimala temple ban unreasonable: SC .................................................................................... 62
Promoting women entrepreneurs in India ................................................................................... 64
NALSA Scheme: Compensation Scheme for Women Victims/Survivors of Sexual
Assault/Other Crimes-2018 ............................................................................................................ 67
ON RAPE AND CRIMES: Death Penalty is no solution ................................................................. 67
CHILDREN ISSUE ................................................................................................ 70
For ‘safe childhood’: Need for Moral Responsibility and Moral Accountability ..................... 70
Can mere policing alone end child abuse? ................................................................................... 72
Amendments to POCSO Act ............................................................................................................ 74
HEALTH ISSUE ................................................................................................... 75
Create leprosy awareness: SC ......................................................................................................... 75
Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Scheme (AB-NHPS) .......................................... 76
Operation Sagar Rani – find Formalin in fishes ............................................................................ 76
FSSAI: ‘The Eat Right Movement’ ................................................................................................... 77
Food safety @Temples .................................................................................................................... 78
Is Indian food clean? ........................................................................................................................ 79
Ban of Oxytocin ................................................................................................................................. 81
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES .................................................................................. 82
Internationalizing higher education .............................................................................................. 82
Flawed Institutions of Eminence List? ........................................................................................... 84
Is India’s new higher education commission bill visionary? ....................................................... 87
Extended Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (EGSA) ........................................................................................ 89
Swachh Survekshan Grameen, 2018 ............................................................................................. 90
Future of Digital India ...................................................................................................................... 91
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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ............................................................................. 94
The new trade order: Tariff War .................................................................................................... 94
Afghanistan Jalalabad Incident ....................................................................................................... 96
Falling UNHRC ................................................................................................................................... 97
Israel adopts Jewish nation law ...................................................................................................... 99
2018 BRICS Media Forum, South Africa ........................................................................................ 99
10th BRICS Summit Johannesburg Declaration ............................................................................ 99
INDIA AND THE WORLD .................................................................................. 102
INDIA-NEPAL: Time for India to play its cards right ................................................................... 102
Current India’s Foreign Policy status ........................................................................................... 103
Topsy-turvy world: Living in uncertain times ............................................................................. 106
India and South Korea.................................................................................................................... 109
India and US Sanctions: ................................................................................................................. 109
India and Sri Lanka ......................................................................................................................... 110
India and Africa ties........................................................................................................................ 112
India and China - to play a larger role in Africa .......................................................................... 113
Bhutan and India: Treaty of Friendship ....................................................................................... 116
Keeping friends close: India Iran Relations ................................................................................. 118
ECONOMY....................................................................................................... 120
GST: 1 year assessment ................................................................................................................. 120
Items under GST ............................................................................................................................. 121
Why inflated MSP can’t lead to Farm prosperity? ..................................................................... 122
Increased MSP to Farmers ............................................................................................................ 124
Need for reforming Indian financial structure ........................................................................... 124
Sunil Mehta Committee: NPA and stressed assets .................................................................... 126
WPI and CPI based inflation .......................................................................................................... 127
Important Value Addition: ............................................................................................................ 127
Is the time ripe for third wave of banking reforms in India? ................................................... 128
State of state government finances ............................................................................................. 131
Basic Economics: What is the GDP deflator? ............................................................................. 133
2017-18 FDI inflows ....................................................................................................................... 135

AGRICULTURE ................................................................................................. 137
Alternative cereals can improve water use and nutrient supply in India ............................... 137
OECD Assessment: Does India’s Agriculture Policy need a Relook? ....................................... 137
Fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugar cane raised ......................................................... 141
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Plight of farmers ............................................................................................................................. 142
Redressing farmers’ distress: Increasing MSPs (Price Policy) to Income Policy .................... 144
Zero Budget Natural Farming: Reducing cost of crop production ........................................... 146
Watershed development projects and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) ...... 147
ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................... 149
Trees outside a forest .................................................................................................................... 149
In-house air pollution ..................................................................................................................... 150
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue ............................................................................................. 153
India to expand polar research to Arctic ..................................................................................... 153
Clean Ganga Fund ........................................................................................................................... 154
ANIMALS/NATIONAL PARKS IN NEWS ............................................................. 155
National Park in news: Bhitarkanika National Park ................................................................... 155
National Park in news: Bandipur National Park ......................................................................... 155
Animal in news: Sloth Bear ........................................................................................................... 156
Animal in news: Nilgiri tahr ........................................................................................................... 156
Animal in news: Golden jackal, Harrier birds, Indian black turtle and Softshell turtke ........ 157
International Whaling Commission (IWC)................................................................................... 158
Animal in news: Dhole ................................................................................................................... 159
INFRASTRUCTURE/ENERGY ............................................................................. 160
Need for Smart Urbanisation ........................................................................................................ 160
₹809 crore French loan for 15 Smart Cities projects ................................................................. 162
Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme ................................................................................ 163
Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill: Fixing pothole problem .................................................... 164
India is a popular hub for medical tourism ................................................................................. 166
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ............................................................................ 167
Human Space Flight Programme (HSP) and success of PAT ..................................................... 167
Long March-9 .................................................................................................................................. 167
Net Neutrality: ................................................................................................................................ 168
Modern Technology ....................................................................................................................... 168
ISRO’s upgraded Vikas engine ...................................................................................................... 169
Plants may soon create own fertilizer from thin air: study ...................................................... 169
SRIMAN: ‘Rent-a-lab’ policy .......................................................................................................... 170
Einstein was right: astronomers confirm key theory of relativity ........................................... 170
India: AI Superpower or Client Nation? ...................................................................................... 171
‘ISRO-like’ ocean mission planned ............................................................................................... 173
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DEFENCE ......................................................................................................... 175
Gearing up for space wars............................................................................................................. 175
INS Sahyadri and RIMPAC.............................................................................................................. 176
BrahMos and US made M777 guns.............................................................................................. 177
National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) ................................................. 177
Private sector participation in defence equipment manufacturing ........................................ 178
DISASTER MANAGEMENT ............................................................................... 179
Role of Big Data in saving lives ..................................................................................................... 179
Tadipatri steel factory gas leak ..................................................................................................... 181
Flash Flood Guidance System ....................................................................................................... 181
INTERNAL SECURITY/SECURITY ....................................................................... 182
Tackling Lynching ............................................................................................................................ 182
'Mobocracy': rule or domination by the masses ....................................................................... 183
Rajiv Gauba panel to check cases of mob lynching ................................................................... 184
ON RAPE AND CRIMES: Death Penalty is no solution ............................................................... 185
RBI on cryptocurrency ................................................................................................................... 187
Justice B.N. Srikrishna committee on Data Protection ............................................................. 187
National Register of Citizens ......................................................................................................... 188
ETHICS ............................................................................................................ 190
100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela ........................................................................................ 190
MISCELLANEOUS ............................................................................................. 193
Person in news: ............................................................................................................................... 193
1. Bhakti saint Ramanuja ............................................................................................................... 193
2. Saint Kabir's 500th Death Anniversary .................................................................................... 193
3. Person in news: percussion maestro Kuzhalmannam Ramakrishnan ................................ 193
4. Person in news: Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk gets 2018 Ramon Magsaysay
Awards ............................................................................................................................................. 193
5. Person in news: Hima Das ......................................................................................................... 194
6. Person in news: Commander Abhilash Tomy ........................................................................ 195
Tribe in news: Baiga tribe .............................................................................................................. 196
Tribe/community in news: Bru community ................................................................................ 196
Bru people to get voting rights ..................................................................................................... 197
“cVigil” app ...................................................................................................................................... 197
World’s largest mobile factory’ in Noida .................................................................................... 197
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Miscellaneous: ................................................................................................................................ 197
(TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) .............................................................................. 199

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HISTORY/CULTURE

Bhakti Saint Ramanuja
Part of: GS Prelims and Mains I – Indian Art and Culture and Heritage
In news:
 Bhakti saint Ramanuja statue is set
to become the world’s second
tallest statue of a seated figure, at
216 feet.
 The figure has been assembled from
1,500 pieces and is located near
Shamshabad Airport.
 The year 2017 marksed 1000th birth
anniversary (millennium)

Important value additions
About Sri Ramanuja Acharya
 Birth place Sriperumbudur, TN
 He was the greatest Vaishnava acharya. (Vaishnava Theologist)
 Born in 1017 CE, Ramanujacharya was a Hindu theologian, philosopher, and one of the
most important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism.
 His guru - Yādava Prakāsa (part of Advaita Vedānta monastic tradition)
 Ramanuja followed the footsteps of Indian Alvārs tradition, the scholars Nāthamuni and
Yamunāchārya.
 Famus works – wrote bhāsya on the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, all in
Sanskrit.
 He is famous as the chief proponent of Vishishtadvaita (sub-school of Vedānta).
 According to him God is Sagunabrahman. He also advocated prabattimarga or path of
self-surrender to God. To attain salvation - through intense devotion to Vishnu.
 Rāmānuja‘s philosophical foundation was qualified monism, and is called Vishishtadvaita
in the Hindu tradition.
 The Visishtadvaita is so called because it inculcates the Advaita (or oneness of God) with
Visesha (or attributes). It is, therefore, qualified monism.
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 His ideas are one of three subschools in Vedānta, the other two are known as Ādi
Shankara’s Advaita (absolute monism) and Madhvāchārya’s Dvaita (dualism).

Saint Kabir's 500th Death Anniversary
Part of: GS Prelims and Mains I - Art and Culture
Key Pointers:
 Kabir Das - India's most revered 15th century mystic poet, saint and social reformer.
 His sayings not only influenced people's way of life but also contributed largely towards
'Hinduism Bhakti movement'.
 The language of his poetry was straightforward and understandable by the common
people. His verses were direct revelation of truth and full of spirituality. He believed in
simple life full of purity.
 He was against false rituals and superstitions of both Hindu and Muslim religions which
have no relevance with the enrichment of the human soul. He said that both are
ignorant of realty. He satirically denounced Brahmins and Mullahs and thus won the
hearts of poor people who were the victims of their exploitation.
 His writings significantly influenced the Bhakti movement. Some of his famous writings
include ‘Sakhi Granth’, ‘Anurag Sagar’, ‘Bijak’ and ‘Kabir Granthawali’.
 A religious community known as ‘Kabir Panth’ was founded by him and the members of
this forum are referred as ‘Kabir Panthis’, implying the followers of Kabir Das.
 Great saint, Ramananda was his Guru.
 Kabir was the first saint to reconcile Hinduism with Islam.
 Kabir died at Maghar in the Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh in 1518 A.D.

Do you know?
 Last week Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the Sant Kabir
Academy in Uttar Pradesh.
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