The Daily Brief – 5th August 2019

The Space Situational Awareness Control Centre will be set up by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru, Karnataka. In view of the increasing debris population and operational space assets, it will facilitate intensified activities foreseen for the Space Situational Awareness & Management (SSAM). Currently, ISRO has a fleet of 50 functional satellites, including communication, navigation and surveillance satellites, in space.

As per the recent study published in ‘Threatened Taxa’, Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) transmitted from CDV-infected dogs living in and around wildlife sanctuaries impose a glooming threat to the tigers. In 2018, over 20 lions from the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary had died due to the CDV infection. It has been found that 86% of the tested dogs around Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan carried CDV antibodies in their bloodstream which shows that there is a higher risk of infection.

The President has issued the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 2019 which comes into force at once and supersedes Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order 1954. The Order adds several clauses to Article 367. These include that the Constituent Assembly of the State shall become a Legislative Assembly of the state as mentioned in the Clause 2 of the Article. The Governor of the state shall act on the advice of his Council of Ministers.

The Government announced repealing Article 370 which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir on 5^th August, 2019. Home Minister Amit Shah, in this regard, moved a resolution in the Rajya Sabha. Amit Shah also introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill, 2019 which seeks to make Jammu and Kashmir a Union Territory with a Legislature, and Ladakh a Union Territory without a Legislature.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the centenary celebrations of Central Library of Patna University on 4^th August, 2019. Patna University is the 11^th oldest university in India. Established on 1^st October, 1917, it is the first university in Bihar. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on this occasion, reiterated his demand for the status of a Central University for the Patna University.

In Maldives, former vice president Ahmed Adeeb was taken to the Dhoonidhoo Detention Center after being returned to the country on 5^th August, 2019. Adeeb was arrested after fleeing to India to avoid questioning over the alleged embezzlement of state funds. India had refused entry to him. Adeeb had recently been freed from a 33-year jail sentence over corruption and terrorism.

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat bagged a gold medal in the women’s 53kg category of the Poland Open wrestling tournament in Warsaw. This is her third consecutive gold in the 53 kg category, after winning Gold at Grand Prix of Spain and at the Yasar Dogu International at Istanbul, Turkey in July.