Assam Rifles granted power to arrest anyone in the Northeast

GS PAPER - 02 POLITY - Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure

Context:

     ✱  Assam Rifles, deployed along the Myanmar border, has been empowered by the Centre to arrest anyone and search a place without warrant in the border districts of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram.

     ✱  members of the Assam Rifles” has been given these powers under the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Why such move?

     ✱  Earlier, Assam Rifles was making arrests only in areas where the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act was in effect.

     ✱  They were finding it difficult to make seizures and arrest in Mizoram, which doesn’t have AFSPA. This is to basically correct that anomaly. As per law, they have to hand over the suspects to the local police within 24 hours.

           

Assam Rifles :      ✱  The Assam Rifles is one of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in India.      ✱  It conducts counter-insurgency operations in the North East and guards the India-Myanmar border.      ✱  The Force functioned under the control of the Ministry of External Affairs till 1965. Its control was then transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs and has since been functioning under that Ministry. Functions :      ✱  Maintaining security of the North Eastern sector of the international border;      ✱  Helping states in the North East to maintain law and order and other states as and when needed; and      ✱  Taking counter insurgency measures in states of the North East.

 

                                                                                                                     Source :- The Hindu

Deadlier version of BrahMos to be tested in three years

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Context:

     ✱  A sleeker, more lethal version of the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos is under development and the prototype should be ready for testing in about three years

     ✱  The idea is to have a smaller missile with the same capabilities.

     ✱  So the missile will fly at 3.5 times the speed of sound instead of 2.8 Mach.

     ✱  The range will remain at 300 km

BrahMos:

     ✱  BrahMos is a joint venture between India and Russia. It is named after Brahmaputra and Moscow rivers.

     ✱  It is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against surface and sea-based targets.

     ✱  The land and sea variants of BrahMos are already operational with the Army and Navy.

     ✱  The Army has deployed three BrahMos regiments on the Western and Eastern borders.

     ✱  The air-launched version is under development.

     ✱  In 2017, BrahMos Missile was successfully flight tested first time from Indian Air Force’s fighter aircraft Sukhoi -30MKI against a sea-based target in Bay of Bengal.

                                                                                                             Source :- The Hindu

UN Security Council condemns Pulwama attack

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

Context :

     ✱  The UN Security Council (UNSC) condemned the terror attack perpetrated by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), in a show of solidarity and support to India.

UNSC Statement :

     ✱  UN Secretary General António Guterres had called on India and Pakistan to defuse tensions and for “meaningful mutual engagement.”

     ✱  Condemning terrorism in all its forms as one of the most serious threats to international peace, the UNSC offered its condolences to those impacted by the attack.

     ✱  The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Government of India and all other relevant authorities in this regard

     ✱  The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed.

     ✱  They reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts

           

UNSC :      ✱  UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security.      ✱  Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions; it is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.      ✱ The Security Council consists of fifteen members. Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, and the United States—serve as the body’s five permanent members.      ✱  These permanent members can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General.      ✱  The Security Council also has 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms. The body’s presidency rotates monthly among its members.

 

                                                                                                         Source :- The Hindu

Will stop India’s share of water going to Pak., says Gadkari

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - India and its neighborhood- relations.

Context :

     ✱  In response to Pulwama terror attack, the Centre has decided to stop India’s share of water that used to flow to Pakistan. The government would divert water from eastern rivers to Jammu and Kashmir.

Is it the first time that India has hinted towards a possible instance of stopping the water to Pakistan?:

     ✱  After the Uri attack in 2016, India has fast-tracked water projects to arrest the unutilised water.

     ✱  The three projects include the

     ✱  Shahpur-Kandi dam project,

     ✱  Sutlej-Beas link in Punjab and

     ✱  the UJH Dam project in Jammu and Kashmir.

Can India cancel the pact Unilaterally ?

     ✱  The wording of the treaty has no provision for either country to unilaterally walk out of the pact.

     ✱  Article XII of the Indus Water Treaty says, “The provisions of this Treaty, or, the provisions of this Treaty as modified under the provisions of Paragraph (3), shall continue in force until terminated by a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two governments.”

     ✱  This implies that if India wants to go about abrogating it, the country should abide by the 1969 Vienna convention on the law of treaties.

 

Indus Water Treaty :      ✱  The Indus Waters Treaty was signed by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan’s President Ayub Khan on September 19, 1960.      ✱  The World Bank brokered the Indus valley treaty.      ✱  The treaty describes how river Indus and its tributaries that flow through both the countries can be effectively utilized without disputes.      ✱  According to the treaty, the administration of Beas, Ravi and Sutlej are invested on Indian Government, while, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum are to be taken care by Pakistan      ✱  As the river Indus flows from India, the country is allowed to use 20 per cent of its water for irrigation, power generation and transport purposes.      ✱  Though, the Indus originates from Tibet, China has been kept out of the Treaty. The provisions of The Indus Valley Treaty created a peaceful sharing of water among India and Pakistan for 56 years on sharing the water of Indus and its tributaries.

 

                                                                                                             Source :- The Hindu

Lakhs of forest dwellers face eviction

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context:

     ✱  A recent Supreme Court order may lead to the eviction of lakhs of persons belonging to the Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) categories across 21 States — their claim as forest dwellers have been rejected under the Forest Rights Act of 2006.

SC Direction :

     ✱  A three-judge Bench of Justices Arun Mishra, Navin Sinha and Indira Banerjee on February 13 had ordered the Chief Secretaries of many of these States to evict those whose claims as forest dwellers have been finally rejected under the law.

     ✱  The court directed that the eviction should be carried out on or before July 24, 2019, that is, the next date of hearing

     ✱  The court ordered the Forest Survey of India (FSI) to make a satellite survey and place on record the “encroachment positions.” It directed FSI to also place on record the position “after the eviction as far as possible.”

Issue :

     ✱  About 11,72,931 (1.17 million) land ownership claims made by scheduled tribes and other traditional forest dwellers under the Forest Rights Act have been rejected on various grounds, including absence of proof that the land was in their possession for at least three generations.

           

Forest Rights Act - 2006 :      ✱  Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act of 2006 deals with the rights of forest-dwelling communities over land and other resources.      ✱  The Act grants legal recognition to the rights of traditional forest dwelling communities, partially correcting the injustice caused by the forest laws. Rights under this Act :      ✱  Title rights – Ownership to land that is being farmed by tribals or forest dwellers subject to a maximum of 4 hectares; ownership is only for land that is actually being cultivated by the concerned family, meaning that no new lands are granted.      ✱  Use rights – to minor forest produce (also including ownership), to grazing areas, to pastoralist routes, etc.      ✱  Relief and development rights – to rehabilitation in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement; and to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for forest protection.      ✱  Forest management rights – to protect forests and wildlife.      ✱  Eligibility – Eligibility to get rights under the Act is confined to those who “primarily reside in forests” and who depend on forests and forest land for a livelihood. Further, either the claimant must be a member of the Scheduled Tribes scheduled in that area or must have been residing in the forest for 75 years.

 

                                                                                                             Source :- The Hindu

WHO prescribes ‘aerobics 150’ to stay fit

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Context :

     ✱  World Health Organisation (WHO) has prescribed 150 minutes of weekly physical activity, and stating that physical inactivity is now identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality.

More about the news:

     ✱  The WHO warned that physical inactivity levels are rising in many countries with major implications for the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the general health of the population worldwide.

     ✱  Physical inactivity is estimated to be the main cause for approximately 21%-25% of breast and colon cancers, 27% of diabetes and approximately 30% of ischaemic heart disease burden.

     ✱  WHO noted that - Regular and adequate levels of physical activity in adults reduces the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, breast and colon cancer, depression and the risk of falls; improve bone and functional health; and are a key determinant of energy expenditure, and thus fundamental to energy balance and weight control

     ✱  The WHO has prescribed adults between the ages of 18 to 64 to  do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week, or

     ✱  do at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week, or

     ✱  an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity.

     ✱  The WHO has also noted that physical activity has psychological benefits.

     ✱  It helps in self-expression, building self-confidence, social interaction and integration.

                                                                                                                     Source :- The Hindu

A small moon found floating around Neptune

GS PAPER -  03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Awareness in the fields of Space

CONTEXT :

    ✱  Scientists confirm that Neptune’s tiny, mysterious moon may be a ‘chipped-off piece’ from a larger Moon as a result of collision with a comet that took place billions of years ago.

Hippocamp :

     ✱  Scientists have recently theorised the origin of Hippocamp- one among Neptune’s moons. Originally designated as S/2004 N 1 and Neptune XIV, this moon was found in images taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope in 2004–05 and 2009.

     ✱  Hippocamp, smallest moon yet discovered in orbit around Neptune, is named after a mythical half-horse, half-fish sea creature.

     ✱  Scientists have theorized that Hippocamp was formed from the debris created billions of years ago when a comet collided with Proteus- Neptune’s largest moon.

         

Additional Information :      ✱  There are 13 moons floating around the planet Neptune, namely Triton, Nereid, Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, Galatea, Larissa, Proteus, Halimede, Sao, Laomedeia, Psamathe and Neso — all named after sea gods and nymphs from Greek mythology.

 

                                                                                                  Source :- Down To Earth

 

NASA to crash into asteroid, ESA to follow up

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Awareness in the fields of Space

Context :

     ✱  The European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Hera mission is set for a new record by becoming the first spacecraft to explore a binary asteroid — the Didymos pair.

     ✱  The moon orbiting Didymos, called ‘Didymoon’ — almost the size of the Giza Pyramid in Egypt, measuring just 160 metres in diameter—will be the smallest asteroid ever explored.

More about the News:

     ✱  National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in USA will also launch the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) between 2020 and 2021, which will target Didymoon as part of its planetary defence programme.

     ✱  The programme, designed to protect Earth from dangerous comets and asteroids, aims to crash DART into Didymoon in 2022 to alter its orbit around Didymos.

     ✱  The collision will change the speed of the moonlet in its orbit around the main body. Following the collision, Hera would explore the asteroid in 2026 and check the impact and deflection created by DART.

     ✱  Asteroid are relatively small, inactive, rocky body orbiting the Sun.

     ✱  Didymos is a binary asteroid and it was chosen because of its close proximity to Earth and its size. These both missions are part of the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA).

                                                                                                                     Source :- Down To Earth

4th India- ASEAN Expo and Summit Inaugurated.

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests

Context :

     ✱  Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation inaugurated the 4th India-ASEAN Expo and Summit 2019 in New Delhi.

Aim and Objective :

     ✱  o bring Indian, ASEAN and Global MNCs together to work jointly for larger market and choosing India as a hub for ASEAN as a regional & global value chain

     ✱  Strengthen existing and Explore new areas of collaboration between India and ASEAN

     ✱  Promote Trade and Investments in ASEAN region and India

     ✱  Promote People-to-People contacts

     ✱  To provide a platform that will bring together multiple stakeholders, Policy makers – Industry – Academia – Media – Thought Leaders

     ✱  To promote traditional linkages and focusing on nascent areas of cooperation.

                                                                                                                                  Source :- PIB

BEL Launches Atmospheric Water Generator safe Drinking Water, Straight From the Air.

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Development of new Technology

CONTEXT :

     ✱  Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has unveiled its new product, the Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG), an innovative solution to meet the ever-increasing need for drinking water worldwide, at Aero India 2019.

Atmospheric Water Generator :

     ✱  The Atmospheric Water Generator is being manufactured by BEL in collaboration with CSIR-IICT and MAITHRI, a start-up company based in Hyderabad.

     ✱  BEL's Atmospheric Water Generator can be used to generate water straight from the humidity present in the atmosphere.

     ✱  BEL’s Atmospheric Water Generator employs a novel technology to extract water from the humidity present in the atmosphere and purify it.

     ✱  It uses heat exchange for condensing the atmospheric moisture to produce pure, safe and clean potable water.

     ✱  The AWG comes with a Mineralisation Unit, which is used to add minerals which are required to make the water potable.

     ✱  The AWG is configurable in static and mobile (vehicular) versions and is available in 30 litres/day, 100 litres/day, 500 litres/day and 1,000 litres/day capacities..

                                                                                                                                          Source :- PIB

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