CURRENT AFFAIRS Newspaper Analysis and Summary– 05th November 2013 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ‘Meaningful scientific experiments’ to be conducted on the Red Planet – The Hindu India’s first emissary to another planet, the Mars Orbiter Mission, is setting off on an 11-month- long odyssey from Sriharikota on Tuesday. Although the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has benefited from its experience with the Chandrayaan-1 lunar probe despatched five years back, the technological hurdles that must be dealt with in an interplanetary mission of this sort are still very considerable. The Soviet Union, the U.S., Japan and China failed to get to Mars on their first attempt but the European Space Agency succeeded on its first try with the Mars Express probe that was launched 10 years ago. The Mars Orbiter Mission is “primarily a technology demonstration mission to demonstrate India’s ability to get into the Martian orbit, which is quite a challenging task,” remarked ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan. “During the useful life of the orbiter, we also want to do meaningful scientific experiments.” One of the five instruments on board the orbiter is a sensor designed to pick up signs of methane — a possible marker for life, extinct or extant. Sharing scientific objectives: The Indian spacecraft shares some scientific objectives with America’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission (Maven), which will be launched in two weeks. Sensors on both spacecraft will examine processes that have drastically thinned the Martian atmosphere, which was once thick enough to allow substantial bodies of liquid water to exist on the planet’s surface. There had been some preliminary discussions with the Indian science team, according to Bruce Jakosky of the University of Colorado in the U.S., who is MAVEN’s principal investigator. “There are some overlapping objectives and at the point that we are both in orbit collecting data, we plan to work together with the data,” Dr. Bruce Jakosky, principal investigator for America's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission (MAVEN) said during a recent press briefing. The Indian orbiter would have a useful life of at least six months around Mars, according to the ISRO Chairman. Once its mission was complete, the spacecraft would not be allowed to crash on the planet. There would be enough propellant to take the probe away from the Martian environment, he said. 5-day mission to satellite-tag Amur Falcons in Nagaland – The Hindu Two scientists from Hungary reached Nagaland on Sunday to satellite-tag Amur Falcons there — the first time that such a project is being undertaken in the country. The five-day mission, starting on Tuesday and ending on Saturday, will take place in collaboration with scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India Dehradun, the Programme Officer - Birds of Prey (Raptors), the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Convention on Migratory Species, the United Nations Environment Programme, Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi, and the Nagaland Forest Department. www.indiancivils.com An Online IAS Academy Page 1 CURRENT AFFAIRS Every year, from October to November, a large number of Amur Falcons arrive in the northeast, especially in Nagaland, from South-eastern Siberia and Northern China en route to their final destination — Somalia, Kenya and South Africa. Amur Falcons travel up to 22,000 km a year — known to be one of the longest distance migration of birds. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and head of Forest Force Nagaland, M. Lokeswara Rao told The Hindu that the team of scientists will tag five Amur Falcons with satellite transmitters in the Doyang area of Wokha district. “The bird of prey visits Nagaland, probably before taking a giant leap across the Indian Ocean. The raptor spends its day in search of food and settles on trees for roosting during the night. It is for the first time in the country that satellite transmitters are being fitted on Amur Falcons,” Mr. Rao said. He also said there were threats related to conservation of Amur Falcons, particularly during their seasonal migration. “A comprehensive understanding of the seasonal migration patterns of Amur Falcons is needed for preparing a ‘Conservation Action Plan’ for the species. As they are long-distant migrants, we need to use specialised satellite transmitters which can track their seasonal movements,” he said. The senior forest official hoped that satellite tagging would bolster conservation efforts initiated by the Nagaland Forest Department as well as NGOs, and prevent hunting of the migratory birds. As a result of the joint effort of churches, village councils, NGOs, educational institutions and the Forest department in building awareness on the importance of conserving the species, no Amur Falcon has been hunted this year, he said. Previously, a large number of Amur Falcons were captured and killed in the State. POLITY AND GOVERNANCE Beware quo warranto PIL on public appointments: SC – The Hindu Consideration of suitability or eligibility of a candidate for a post is within the domain of the appointing authority and the only thing that court can scrutinise is whether the appointment is contrary to statutory provisions/rules. Giving this ruling, a Bench of Justices Anil R. Dave and Dipak Misra said if the candidate had the qualifications and fulfilled the requirements of the post, quo warranto should not be entertained by High Courts on public interest writ petitions. Writing the judgment, Justice Misra said “It is [as] clear as day that the jurisdiction of the High Court while issuing a writ of quo warranto [questioning under what authority a person is appointed to a post] is a limited one and can be issued only when the person holding the public office lacks the eligibility criteria or when the appointment is contrary to the statutory rules.” The Bench said: “PIL was initially evolved as a tool to take care of the fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution of the marginalised sections, who because of poverty and illiteracy could not approach the court… It was evolved to benefit the have-nots and the handicapped for protection of their basic human rights and to see that authorities carry out their constitutional obligations towards the marginalised sections…. [But] it has also come to the notice of this court that some persons, who describe themselves as pro bono publico , have approached the court challenging grant of promotion, fixation of seniority, etc. in respect of third parties.” The Bench, quoting earlier decisions, said PIL petitions should not be used to settle personal scores. In the instant case, the Central Electricity Supply Utility of Odisha and Bijaya Chandra Jena were aggrieved over a Orissa High Court order quashing his appointment as CEO of www.indiancivils.com An Online IAS Academy Page 2 CURRENT AFFAIRS CESU. The High Court also ordered recovery of his salary. Allowing their appeal and setting aside the order, the Bench said: “Judgment can be erroneous but when there is a direction for recovery of the honorarium, it indubitably creates a dent in the honour of a person… While exercising the power for issue of a writ of quo warranto , the court only makes a declaration that the person holding the public office is a usurper and not eligible to hold the post and after the declaration is made he ceases to hold the office. [But] till the declaration is made, the incumbent renders service and… cannot be deprived of his salary. Denial of pay for the service rendered is tantamount to forced labour which is impermissible…” Recovery of salary “would amount to deprivation of payment while the incumbent was holding the post and had worked,” the Bench said. EC order on NOTA depiction – The Hindu The Election Commission has said that the “None of the Above” (NOTA) option to be included in the EVMs/ballot papers (in some cases) for the electors to reject the candidates, if they wish, would be printed in pink for the Assembly poll and in white for the Parliamentary election. In a circular sent to all the Chief Electoral Officers of the States/Union Territories, the Commissions said the depiction – NOTA – would be printed in the last panel after the words; “None of the Above”. The Supreme Court, in its verdict on September 27, had asked the EC to provide a NOTA option on the EVM and ballot papers so that the electors who did not want to vote for any of the candidates could exercise their option in secrecy. The Court had held that the provisions of Rule 49-O, under which an elector not wishing to vote for any candidate had to inform the Presiding Officer about his decision, are ultra vires of Article 19 of the Constitution and Section 128 of the RP Act. UNESCO could declare Darjeeling toy train services ‘endangered’, fears MoS – The Hindu Fearing that the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR) - declared a world heritage site by the UNESCO in 1999 - may lose the status unless renovation of the damaged railway tracks is undertaken, Minister of State for Railways Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury urged the West Bengal government on Monday to begin work immediately. “Since the tracks are on a national highway, the Ministry of Railways approached the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways regarding this, and funds amounting to Rs. 87 crore were sanctioned about a year ago. But the State government has been apathetic and has not done its work as yet,” Mr. Chowdhury told The Hinduover telephone from Berhampore. “If the railway tracks are not repaired, the DHR could be declared ‘endangered’ by the UNESCO. This will be humiliating for the entire country,” Mr. Chowdhury added. DHR toy train services are available for only half of the 83-km-long route between Kurseong to Darjeeling and from Siliguri to Rongtong.