Context: Recently, the Supreme Court observed that Article 35-A of the Constitution has deprived people not residing in Jammu and Kashmir of some key constitutional rights.

According to a Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud:-

• Article 35A gave special rights and privileges to permanent residents and virtually took away the rights for non-residents.

• This artificially created class of ‘permanent residents’ alienated people who did not fall within the category.

Article 35A had even granted immunity from judicial review to these special privileges, as any law which provides for these special privileges would not violate fundamental rights like

• Articles 14 (right to equality),

• Article 19(1)(e) (right to settle anywhere in the country)

• Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty) and

• Article 22 (protection against preventive detention).

However, the CJI asked the government whether the Centre had adhered to the principle of federalism while abrogating Article 370 and abolishing J&K as a full-fledged State.

• Article 3 made it mandatory for the President to consult the State Legislature before altering the status of a State.

• The abrogation was facilitated by first dissolving the J&K State Legislature and then proclaiming President’s Rule under Article 356.

• The Parliament assumed the role of the J&K State Legislature and gave its views to itself about the alteration of J&K from a State to 2 UTs.

Controversies Around Article 35A

Article 35A is unique in the sense that

• It does not appear in the main body of the Constitution.

• It by passed the parliamentary route of lawmaking. Article 368 of the Constitution empowers only Parliament to amend the Constitution.

Article 370 was only a ‘temporary provision’ to help bring normality in J&K and strengthen democracy in that State.

• The Constitution-makers did not intend Article 370 to be a tool to bring permanent amendments, like Article 35A, in the Constitution.

• Article 35A was against the “very spirit of oneness of India” as it creates a “class within a class of Indian citizens”.

• Restricting citizens from other States from getting employment or buying property within J&K is a violation of fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution.

• It was against gender equality. For example, Article 35A restricts the basic right to property if a native woman marries a man not holding a permanent resident certificate.

• Her children are denied a permanent resident certificate, thereby considering them illegitimate.

• Violates judicial review principle. For example, Article 35A mandates that no act of the legislature coming under it can be challenged for violating the Constitution or any other law of the land.

‘Permanent residents’ as per Article 35-A

• ‘Permanent residents’ included people who were hereditary State subjects as in 1927, when J&K was a princely state prior to its accession to the Indian Dominion in 1947. 

Current Status of Articles 370 and 35A

• The Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order 2019 withdrew the special status of J&K and extended all provisions of the Indian Constitution (including Part III - Fundamental Rights) to J&K.

• As Article 35A stems from Article 370, the discriminatory provisions under Article 35A are now unconstitutional.

Context:  A Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom has called for a statutory inquiry into medical research carried out on Indian-origin and South Asian women decades ago in the city of Coventry.

Key Points

• The MP said that there were concerns over the use of radioactive isotopes in chapatis that were fed to the women as part of a study purportedly on combating iron deficiency among South Asian women in the city.

• It was claimed that the women’s consent was not sought and proper information on the experiment was not given to them.

About the study

• As part of a study, in 1969, around 21 Indian-origin women, identified by a general practitioner (GP) in Coventry, were given Chapatis containing Iron-59, a radioactive iron isotope.

• The women had sought medical help from the GP for minor ailments but were then, without their knowledge, made part of a research trial to address the issue of widespread anaemia (a disease caused by iron deficiency).

• Chapatis containing Iron-59 were delivered to participants’ homes.

• After eating the chapatis, women in the study were taken to the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, where their radiation levels were measured to judge how much iron had been absorbed.

• The UK’s Medical Research Council (MRC) said the study proved that Asian women should take extra iron because the iron in the flour was insoluble.

Was the study ‘ethical’?

• Public criticism led to the MRC establishing an independent Committee of Inquiry.

• This committee’s report in 1998 said that low levels of radiation can be dealt with by the human body up to a certain threshold.

• It added, that many do not accept this view and say that the damage to human DNA due to any level of radiation is more severe.

• The report suggested that the nature of the studies did not appear to be unethical.

Concerns

• questions of consent,

• understanding in the light of giving consent, and

• the degree to which the risks were explained to the participants or even taken into account by researchers.

Prior judgements

• Researchers also made some prior judgements about the benefits and costs of the study without keeping the participants at its centre, in line with the paternalistic nature of science (and wider society at the time).

Informed consent

• The MRC no longer had the list of the study’s participants.

• A public call for participants to come forward also did not yield results.

Misleading portrayal

• While the procedures for such experiments are much stricter today, back then the need to provide written explanations to participants or get their written consent was not necessary.

• It caused considerable unnecessary concern among Asian people and that their portrayal was seriously misleading.

What are radioactive isotopes?

• Radioactive isotopes are unstable forms of an element that emit radiation to transform into a more stable form.

• Such isotopes have unstable nuclei, i.e. the proton to neutron ratio is such that they contain excess energy in the nucleus.

• This excess energy is dissipated spontaneously through radiation – the emmission of energy through waves or particles.

• Depending on the amount and the specific kind, radiation can have various long term health effects on human beings.

Context: Recently, an Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent departed to participate in Exercise BRIGHT STAR-23, scheduled to be held at Cairo (West) Air Base, Egypt, from 27 August to 16 September 2023.

About Exercise BRIGHT STAR

• Exercise BRIGHT STAR  is a multinational tri-services joint military exercise that will be led by US CENTCOM and the Egyptian Army.

• The exercise was initially started as a bilateral training event between the US and Egypt, dating back to the Camp David Accord in 1977.The first exercise took place in 1980. Since 1995, other countries have also joined in.

• The previous Exercise BRIGHT STAR in 2021 involved the armed forces of 21 countries. 

• Exercise BRIGHT STAR 2023 will include the participation of 34 countries, making it the largest-ever joint military drill in the Middle East and North Africa region.

• This is also the first time that Indian Armed Forces will be participating in the exercise.

• Participating countries: United States of America, Saudi Arabia, Greece and Qatar.

• The Indian Air Force contingent will consist of five MiG-29, two IL-78, two C-130 and two C-17 aircraft.

• Personnel from the IAF's Garud Special Forces, as well as those from the Numbers 28, 77, 78 and 81 Squadrons, will be participating in the exercise.

Its objective 

• The exercise will consist of a large number of training activities focused on combating emerging unconventional threats and enhancing regional partnerships amongst participating nations aimed at maintaining world peace.

• In addition, the exercise will also include a combined arms live firing exercise based on a tactical setting. 

• To practice planning and execution of joint operations. Besides leading to the formation of bonding across borders, such interactions also provide a means to further strategic relations between participating nations.

• India and Egypt have had an exceptional relationship and deep cooperation wherein the two jointly undertook the development of aero-engine and aircraft in the 1960s, and training of Egyptian pilots was done by Indian counterparts.

• Further, a panel discussion on contemporary topics is also planned to be conducted on Cyber Security for which the Indian Armed Forces are the lead force.

Teenaged Grandmaster D. Gukesh has replaced the legendary Viswanathan Anand as India's top chess player after more than three decades. Anand has been India's No.1 since July 1986.

• The 17-year-old Chennai Grandmaster, who recently lost in the quarterfinals of the FIDE World Cup in Baku to Magnus Carlsen, moved ahead of Anand to be ranked No.8 in the world.
• Gukesh's entry into the top 10 of the FIDE rating list marks a significant milestone. He has climbed three places in the rating list since August 1.
• According to the latest FIDE ratings, Gukesh boasts a rating of 2758, while Anand"s stands at 2754.
• Gukesh won today and has overcome Viswanathan Anand in live rating.

India's first indigenously developed 700 MW nuclear power plant in Gujarat's Kakrapar has started operations at full capacity.

The Union Cabinet has given the green light to the National Policy on Research and Development and Innovation in the Pharma-MedTech Sector.

• This decision is accompanied by the approval of the Scheme for Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector (PRIP), with a substantial allocation of Rs 5,000 crore for a five-year period spanning from FY24 to FY28.
• The scheme was rolled out earlier this month by the government with the belief that the Indian pharmaceutical industry has the potential to increase its current 3.4 per cent share of the global market to 5 per cent by the year 2030.
• The scheme is set to stimulate collaboration between pharmaceutical companies, Cabinet greenlights Rs 5,000 crore PRIP scheme to boost research and innovation institutions, and start-ups.

Nagaland has earned the distinction of becoming the first state in the northeast to launch Aadhaar-Linked Birth Registration (ALBR).  The initiative facilitates birth registration based on Aadhaar enrolment for children in 0 to 5 years’ age group.

• The service was launched by T Mhabemo Yanthan, commissioner, Nagaland in the presence of Neidilhou Angami, director at the Nagaland directorate of economics and statistics.
• With 68% Aadhaar enrolment against the projected population of Nagaland, the state is thriving forward to achieve better Aadhaar enrolment.
• Col Abhishek Koushik, director, UIDAI, congratulated the Nagaland government for the feat. He apprised the consistent efforts being carried out by the office of the commissioner, Nagaland in providing Aadhaar

The Centre's fiscal deficit in the first four months of 2023-24 touched 33.9 per cent of the full-year target, government data showed on Monday.

• In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit -- the gap between expenditure and revenue -- was Rs 6.06 lakh crore as of end-July, according to the data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA). 
• The deficit stood at 20.5 per cent of the Budget Estimates (BE) in the corresponding period of the financial year 2022-23. 
• In the Union Budget, the government projected to bring down the fiscal deficit to 5.9 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the current 2023-24 financial year. The deficit was 6.4 per cent of the GDP in 2022-23 against the earlier estimate of 6.71 per cent.

Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, launched a novel comic book titled "Let’s Move Forward." The launch event was held on August 29, 2023, at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi. 

• The book will motivate students to prioritize holistic well-being while entertaining them through storytelling, with key focus on good health and wellness.  
• This comic book is a collaborative effort between the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and UNESCO New Delhi.
• The "Let’s Move Forward" comic book is designed to cater to the diverse requirements of adolescents and encapsulates crucial information pertaining to the 11 thematic components of the School Health and Wellness Programme.  These encompass a comprehensive range of subjects, including emotional well-being, interpersonal relationships, gender equality, nutrition and health, substance abuse prevention, healthy lifestyles, reproductive health, internet safety, and more.

Surgical oncologist R Ravi Kannan named as one of the recipients of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2023. Kannan, who hails from Chennai, won the award for “revolutionising the treatment of cancer in Assam through his people-centered and pro-poor programs”, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation said.

• Kannan worked at the Cancer Institute in Chennai before he moved to Silchar in 2007 to join the Cachar Cancer Hospital.
• Under Kannan’s leadership, the hospital became a full-fledged comprehensive cancer hospital and research center, according to the award’s citation.
• He also introduced free treatment, food and lodging, ad-hoc employment for caregivers, and a home care programme as patients could not continue their treatment due to difficulty in traveling long distances and cost.
• He has also been awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to the health sector.
• The Magsaysay Award, established in 1957, seeks to reward individuals for integrity in governance, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism in democratic societies. It is often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Asia”.

National Nutrition Week (NNW) is observed annually in India from September 1 to 7. This dedicated week aims to raise awareness among people about the vital role of nutrition and the significance of cultivating healthy eating habits. 

• Throughout National Nutrition Week, several seminars, workshops, educational programmes, conferences, and public awareness campaigns are organised across the country.
• These activities are designed to educate people about the advantages of maintaining a balanced diet, the positive impact of proper nutrition, ways to prevent diseases linked to poor dietary habits, and strategies to overcome nutritional deficiencies.

History of National Nutritional Week

The Ramon Magsaysay Award, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Asia,” is recognized globally for its prestigious recognition of individuals and organizations that have made significant differences in their communities and beyond.

• The 65th Ramon Magsaysay Awards in 2023 celebrated and honored four exceptional individuals from Asia for their outstanding contributions in the fields of education, agriculture, peacebuilding, and healthcare.
• They are Korvi Rakshand from Bangladesh, Eugenio Lemos from Timor-Leste, Miriam Coronel-Ferrer from the Philippines, and Dr Ravi Kannan R. from India. 

About Ramon Magsaysay Award

The award was established in 1957 in the memory of Philippines' 3rd President Ramon Magsaysay who had died in an air disaster in March 1957. It is awarded annually to individuals or organizations from Asia region for their altruistic and philanthropic service. The award carries a certificate, a medallion bearing the likeness of the late President, and a cash prize of USD 50,000.

A new Abu Dhabi-developed artificial intelligence large language model for Arabic has been unveiled, aiming to bring one of the world's most widely used languages into the AI mainstream.

• Jais, an open-source bilingual Arabic-English model, was developed by Inception, a unit of Abu Dhabi AI company G42, Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Silicon Valley-based Cerebras Systems.
• The developers said Jais is more accurate than other existing LLMs for Arabic. It is available to download on machine learning platform Hugging Face. 
• The launch of Jais is a further step towards encouraging the scientific and computing communities to focus more on non-English LLMs, similar to efforts made in Japan and India, Andrew Jackson, chief executive of Inception.

India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) registered a growth of 7.8 percent in the April-June quarter of the current fiscal (2023-2024), compared to a growth of 6.1 percent in the previous January-March quarter of fiscal 2022-23. According to official data shared by the National Statistical Office.

• The country’s real GDP came in line with economists’ estimate of 7.7-8.5 percent. Manufacturing posted a growth of 4.7 percent in the April-June quarter quarter. 
• The Agriculture sector registered a growth of 3.5 percent; while the services sector grew at 9.2 percent. 
• Meanwhile, India’s nominal GDP or GDP at Current Prices in Q1FY24 showed a growth rate of 8 percent as compared to 27.7 percent in Q1 FY2022-23.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is set to launch its innovative Adopt a Heritage 2.0 programme on September 4, 2023, at the Samvet Auditorium, IGNCA, New Delhi.

• The programme aims to safeguard India's diverse cultural heritage by inviting corporate stakeholders to enhance the amenities at more than 3,600 monuments spread across the country.
• These monuments are known for not only showcasing India's rich cultural history, but are also known for contributing significantly to economic growth.
• Under the Adopt a Heritage 2.0 program, ASI will be reaching out to corporate partners to utilise their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to enhance the amenities at these historical sites. Interested stakeholders will be able to adopt a monument or specific amenities through a dedicated web portal at www.indian heritage.gov.in, which will provide them with comprehensive details about the monuments that are available for adoption, including gap analysis, and estimated financial requirements.