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MARS Mission:
ü This
is India’s mission to Mars.
ü Mars
Orbital Mission on board the PSLV C25 scheduled for
lift off from the space port in Sriharikota (Satish Dhawan Space Centre) on November 5, 2013.
ü Mars
exploration opportunity comes once in 26 months according to ISRO (Indian
Space Research Organization) Chairman K. Radhakrishanan.
ü So
far there have been 51 missions to Mars predominantly by the USA, Russia and
European Union
ü The
success rate is 50 percent.
ü For
Indian mission the budget is 450 crore.
ü The
PSLV leaves the spacecraft in an elliptical orbit of 250 km at its closest to
Earth and 23,500 km at its farthest.
ü To
get to Mars the orbit must repeatedly fire its own liquid propellant engine.
ü It
will become the first Indian spacecraft to cross Earth’s escape velocity of
11.2 km per second.
ü The
6th firing which is scheduled on November 30, 2013 will push the
probe beyond escape velocity (11.2 km/sec).
ü The
probe takes nearly 300 days to traverse some 400 million kms.
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MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile
Evolution):
ü
This is America’s mission to Mars in November, 2013.
ü
The Maven will be making the first leg of journey on an
Atlas V.
ü
Atlas V a rocket considered to be more powerful than PSLV (Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle).
ü
This will be able to put the MAVEN on a direct course for
Mars. (This facility is not there for PSLV).
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ü Medical VISA: The Home Ministry announced that
the Tourist Visas are no more permitted for the visitors who are visiting
India for Surrogacy. It made it clear that they must obtain only Medical
Visas.
Note: (Surrogacy is
a method (arrangement) where in a woman carries and delivers a child for another couple or person).
Tourist visas are
generally given for 6 months.
Transit visa is given
for less than 72 hours.
Medical visas –
Issued to those seeking medical treatment in India at recognized and
specialized hospitals.
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ü Indira Gandhi National
Integration Award: On October 31, 2013 it was awarded to the eminent agriculture scientist
M.S. Swaminathan by the Prime Minister.
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ü Master Brand Award for Vico
Vajradanti: The Ayurvedic
product wonthe prestigious award of World Brand Congress.
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SUPREME COURT
DIRECTIVE ON FIXED TENURE FOR CIVIL SERVANTS: Read below:
ü On October, 31, 2013 the Supreme Court directed
the Centre and the states to set up a CSB (Civil Services Board) for the
management of transfers, postings, inquiries, process of promotion, reward,
punishment and disciplinary action.
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ü The directive came in response of a PIL
(Public Interest Litigation) filed by former Cabinet Secretary T.S.R
Subramanian and 82 others.
ü The
petitioners submitted that lack of good governance affected the quality of life
and violated the guarantees provided under Article 21 of Indian Constitution.
(Article 21:
No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to
procedure established by law).
ü The Supreme Court also said that the
bureaucrats should not act on verbal orders given by politicians and suggested
a fixed tenure.
ü The court said the CSB should consist of
officers who are experts in their respective fields, with the Cabinet Secretary
at the centre and Chief Secretary at the state level as the head could be a
better alternative.
ü This can be continued till the Parliament
enacts a law.
ü The CSB can guide and advice the government on
all service matters, especially in transfers, postings and disciplinary action.
ü The Bench asked the Parliament to pass a
Civil Service Act under the provisions of Article 309
of the Indian Constitution to set up CSB.
ü The court asked the governments to constitute
such boards within 3 months.
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ü The Supreme Court said that the civil servants
must refrain from acting on oral instructions of political bosses, except in
certain exceptional circumstances.
ü The Santhanam committee on prevention of corruption (1962) and Hota committee of 2004 recommended for recording instructions and directions by Public
servants.
ü The All India Services Conduct Rule 3(3) (iii),
1968 specifically requires that all orders from the superior officers shall
ordinarily be in writing.
ü By acting on oral directions not recording
the same the rights guaranteed to the citizens under RTI (Right to Information)
Act would defeat the purpose and objective of the act.
ü Now the ruling of the Supreme Court must be
implemented in letter and spirit.
ü Note: On September 22, 2006 the land mark judgment
of the Supreme Court (Prakash Singh vs Union of India case) led to the police
reforms after a PIL filed by the former Director-General of BSF (Border
Security Force) Prakash Singh. But so far most of the states not complied with
many of its directions to bring about police reforms. (This was reminded by the
Supreme Court to all the states in the early of 2013).
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Can you
comment on this?
ü Fixed
minimum tenure would not only enable the civil servants to achieve their
professional targets but also help them function as effective instruments of
Public policy.
ü Democracy
requires an informed citizenry (people) and transparency of information.
ü Lack
of good governance is the violation of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
ü Public
servants are not private servants. Examine the statement in the light of recent
judgment of Supreme Court on Civil servants must refrain from acting on the
oral instructions of the political bosses.
International:
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ü Venezuela:
The President Nicolas Maduro has announced the creation of a department of ‘Supreme Social Happiness’
to coordinate more than 30 welfare schemes, known as Missions and rid them of
corruption and bureaucratic legacy.
ü Syria:
It completed the functional destruction of all critical equipments that it has
declared manufacturing chemical weapons. The country is on its way to complete
chemical disarmament by the mid of 2014. The destruction of equipment was confirmed
by the OPCW
(Organization
of Chemical Weapons). Hence Syria cannot manufacture chemical
weapons in future.
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