First Astronomical Society of India Govind Swarup Lifetime Achievement Award in Pune (GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
Why in news?
- Recently, Prof. Jayant V. Narlikar, an astronomer par-excellence, the founding director of IUCAA, Pune received the very first ASI Govind Swarup Lifetime Achievement award.
IUCAA:
- The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) is an autonomous institution set up by the University Grants Commission of India to promote nucleation and growth of active groups in astronomy and astrophysics in Indian universities.
About Govind Swarup Lifetime Achievement award:
- In the year 2022, as it celebrated its golden jubilee, the Astronomical Society of India (ASI) instituted the Govind Swarup Lifetime Achievement award to recognise eminent Indian astronomers for the contributions they have made to the field of Astronomy and Astrophysics in India over their careers.
- The award is named in honour of Prof. Govind Swarup (1929-2020).
- The award carries a citation and plaque, and a cash prize.
About Prof. Govind Swarup:
- Prof. Swarup is widely regarded to be the founder of Indian radio astronomy.
- He conceived of and led the construction of the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) using innovative, cost-effective ideas optimized for the Indian environment.
- He was a visionary and one of the strongest early proponents of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
- He was the founding director of the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), Pune.
Centre prepares new Model Prisons Act with focus on reform
(GS Paper 2, Governance)
Why in news?
- The Ministry of Home Affairs has prepared the ‘Model Prisons Act 2023,’ that will replace a British-era law to overhaul the prison administration, which will focus on the reformation and rehabilitation of inmates.
Salient features:
Among the salient features of the Act are
- provisions of punishment for prisoners and jail staff for use of prohibited items such as mobile phones in jails,
- establishment and management of high security jails,
- open jail, and provisions for protecting the society from the criminal activities of hardened criminals and habitual offenders.
- It also contains provisions for providing legal aid to prisoners, parole, furlough and premature release to incentivise good conduct.
Colonial era laws:
- Prisons in the country and ‘persons detained therein’ are a State subject and the existing law in this context, the Prisons Act of 1894 is a pre-independence era Act and is almost 130-years-old.
- Two other related laws; The Prisoners Act, 1900 and The Transfer of Prisoners Act, 1950 are also decades-old.
Significance of Model Prisons Act:
- The Model Prisons Act might serve as a “guiding document” for the States, and for adoption in their jurisdiction. There were “several lacunae” in the existing Prisons Act and there was “conspicuous omission” of the correctional focus in the existing Act.
- The Ministry, directed the Bureau of Police Research and Development, a Union government think tank on policing subjects, to review the laws and prepare a new draft.
Way Forward:
- The existing Act mainly focuses on keeping the criminals in custody and enforcement of discipline and order in prisons. There is no provision for reform and rehabilitation of prisoners in the existing Act.
- A comprehensive ‘Model Prisons Act, 2023’ was finalised with the objective of holistically providing guidance and addressing the gaps in the existing Prisons Act.
California Senate passes Bill banning caste discrimination
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Why in news?
Key Highlights:
Concerns:
- However, many Indian Americans fear that codifying caste in public policy will further fuel instances of Hinduphobia in the U.S.
Background:
- Seattle was the first US city to include caste protections in its anti-discrimination statutes earlier in 2023, and several colleges and universities have taken similar steps.
- Advocates for caste-oppressed individuals have said that institutions and workplaces are ill-equipped to deal with caste bias, which has been documented in recent years among South Asians in the US.
Way Forward:
- A coalition of organisations from various religious and caste backgrounds also backed the bill. The California State Assembly will now consider the bill.
