Insights Daily Current Events, 11 May 2015

Insights Daily Current Events, 11 May 2015

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Govt. set to grant citizenship to Hindus from Bangladesh

The government is set to move forward on the question of granting citizenship to Hindu immigrants from Bangladesh and is expected to submit a policy document to the Supreme Court soon.

• The Document regarding this is being prepared by the Union Home Ministry. This will decide the fate of thousands of Bangladeshi Hindus living in 18 States.

Background:

• The Centre is submitting the document in response to a case filed in 2012 by two NGOs, which pleaded that Hindus and persons of other minorities from Bangladesh migrating to India to escape religious persecution must not be bracketed with illegal migrants and sent back.
• The petitions had also demanded grant of refugee status to these persons, which could later be converted to citizenship.
• Initially the focus of the case was on Assam where animosity towards refugees from Bangladesh is a strong political issue.
• However, in July 2013, the Supreme Court made the case into a national issue — the Bench hearing the case made 18 States a party to it, observing that the problem of religious minorities coming from Bangladesh to India was not confined to Assam alone.
• The previous government did not show much interest in this case since it involved the question of granting rights on the basis of religion. Since the new government came to power, it has proactively followed the case.

Assam Accord:

• The Assam Accord (1985) was a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) signed between representatives of the Government of India and the leaders of the Assam Movement in New Delhi on 15 August 1985.
• The accord brought an end to the Assam Agitation and paved the way for the leaders of the agitation to form a political party and form a government in the state of Assam soon after.
• The Assam agitation dates back to 1979 against illegal foreign nationals, which culminated in the signing of the Assam Accord. Assamese people had assimilated Bangladeshis who had migrated till 1966.
• As per the Accord, those Bangladeshis who came between 1966 and 1971 will be barred from voting for ten years. The Accord also mentions that the international borders will be sealed and all persons who crossed over from Bangladesh after 1971 are to be deported.
• Though the accord brought an end to the agitation, some of the key clauses are yet to be implemented, which has kept some of the issues festering.

Sources: The Hindu, Wiki.

Lion numbers up in Gir

The population of Asiatic lions has been found to have increased considerably in the Gir wildlife sanctuary — from 411 during the last census in 2010 to 523 in 2015.

The census data also reveals that the lions’ habitat area has increased to 22,000 square kilometres, which has almost doubled in five years.

Notable facts:

• The Gir forest is the only place in the whole of Asia where the Asiatic lion is now found.
• It is situated in Gujarat.
• It is considered to be one of the most important protected areas in Asia due to its supported species. The ecosystem of Gir, with its diverse flora and fauna, is protected as a result of the efforts of the government forest department, wildlife activists and NGOs.
• Major perennial rivers of the Gir region are Hiran, Shetrunji, Datardi, Shingoda, Machhundri, Godavari and Raval.

Sources: The Hindu, Wiki.

Third Phalke for the Kapoor family

The veteran actor-filmmaker Shashi Kapoor, recently received the Dada Saheb Phalke award, India’s highest honour in cinema.

• The veteran actor-producer is the 46th winner of the honour.

About the Award:

• The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India’s highest award in cinema.
• It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
• The recipient is honoured for their outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema and is selected by a committee consisting of eminent personalities from the Indian film industry.
• First presented in 1969, the award was introduced by the Government of India to commemorate Dadasaheb Phalke’s contribution to Indian cinema. Phalke (1870–1944), who is popularly known as and often regarded as “the father of Indian cinema”, was an Indian film-maker who directed India’s first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra (1913).
• The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani. Among 46 awardees, actor Prithviraj Kapoor is the sole posthumous recipient.

Sources: The Hindu, Wiki.

India test-fires BrahMos advanced version

India recently successfully test-fired an advanced version of the BrahMos land-attack cruise missile from the Car Nicobar Islands.

• The land-to-land configuration of BrahMos Block-III version was test launched from a Mobile Autonomous Launcher (MAL) for its full-range of 290 km

Details:

• The BrahMos missile has been jointly developed by India and Russia.
• The multi—mission missile, having a range of 290—km and a Mach 2.8 speed, is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub—sea and air against sea and land targets.
• It is also the world’s fastest cruise missile in operation.

Sources: The Hindu, Wiki.

WHO declares Liberia Ebola-free

The U.N. health agency has declared Liberia Ebola-free. WHO hailed its eradication as an enormous development in the long crisis.

EBOLA:

• Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. It is a disease of humans and other primates caused by an ebolavirus.
• Symptoms start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus, with a fever, sore throat, muscle pain and headaches.
• Typically, vomiting, diarrhea and rash follow, along with decreased functioning of the liver and kidneys. Around this time, affected people may begin to bleed both within the body and externally.
• The virus may be acquired upon contact with blood or bodily fluids of an infected animal.
• Fruit bats are believed to be a carrier and may spread the virus without being affected. Once human infection occurs, the disease may spread between people, as well.
• In order to reduce the spread, the World Health Organization recommends raising community awareness of the risk factors for Ebola infection and the protective measures individuals can take. These include avoiding contact with infected people and regular hand washing using soap and water. Traditional burial rituals, especially those requiring washing or embalming of bodies, should be discouraged or modified.

Quarantine

• Quarantine, also known as enforced isolation, is usually effective in decreasing spread. Governments often quarantine areas where the disease is occurring or individuals who may be infected.

Vaccine

• No vaccine is currently available for humans. The most promising candidates are DNA vaccines or vaccines derived from adenoviruses, vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus (VSIV) or filovirus-like particles (VLPs) because these candidates could protect nonhuman primates from ebolavirus-induced disease. DNA vaccines, adenovirus-based vaccines, and VSIV-based vaccines have entered clinical trials.

Treatment

• No specific treatment for the disease is yet available. Efforts to help those who are infected are supportive and include giving either oral rehydration therapy (slightly sweet and salty water to drink) or intravenous fluids.

The recent outbreak in West Africa is the largest and most complex Ebola outbreak since the Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976. The most severely affected countries were Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Sources: The Hindu, Wiki, WHO.

INS Sardar Patel

Adding to a series of recent boosts for India’s defence sector, Indian Navy’s latest Naval establishment, INS Sardar Patel, was commissioned at Gujarat’s Porbandar recently.

Details:

• The Navy says the commissioning of INS Sardar Patel would enable it to qualitatively augment its infrastructure and organisational effectiveness in Gujarat, which would improve coordination and synergy with other maritime agencies of the government.
• The base would improve the logistic support being provided to the Indian Navy units deployed in the Northern Arabian Sea, including that along the International Maritime Boundary Line with Pakistan.

Gujarat has a coastline of 1600 km interspersed with 43 ports. Of these, besides Kandla being a major port, 11 are intermediate and 31 are minor ports. The ports of Gujarat handle 300 million tons of cargo annually, which is 43% of the total maritime trade handled by the various ports of India.

Sources: The Hindu.

Insights Secure Prelims 2015

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Welcome to Insights Secure Prelims – 2015 initiative. The following questions are based on current events that appear in PIB (Public Information Bureau) and from some important newspapers. For more challenging question papers (Full Length), please join our Preliminary Exam – 2015 Test Series (Please Click Here for Reviews)

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1. Question 1 of 5

   1. Question

   Consider the following statements regarding the Gir wildlife sanctuary:

   1. It is the only place in the whole of Asia where the Asiatic lion is now found.
   2. The Gir region has a dry scrub land and open deciduous forest.
   3. It is spread through the states of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

   Which of the above statements is/are correct?

   • a) 2 and 3 Only
   • b) 1 and 3 Only
   • c) 1 and 2 Only
   • d) All
   Correct
   

   Solution: c

    

   Incorrect
   

   Solution: c

    
2. Question 2 of 5

   2. Question

   Which of the following is/are correctly matched?

   1. INS Sardar Patel: Gujarat.
   2. INS Mandovi: Goa
   3. INS Kadamba: Karwar
   4. INS Dwarka: Gujarat

   Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

   • a) 1,2 and 3 Only
   • b) 2,3 and 4 Only
   • c) 1, 3 and 4 Only
   • d) All
   Correct
   

   Solution: d

   Reference: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/ports.htm.

   Incorrect
   

   Solution:d

   Reference: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/ports.htm.
3. Question 3 of 5

   3. Question

   With reference to BrahMos Missile, consider the following statements:

   1. It is the world’s fastest cruise missile in operation.
   2. These missiles are jointly being developed by India and Russia.
   3. These missiles can only be launched from land.

   Which of the above statements is/are correct?

   • a) 1 and 2 Only
   • b) 2 and 3 Only
   • c) 1 and 3 Only
   • d) All
   Correct
   

    

   Solution: a

   These missiles are jointly being developed by India and Russia. The Missile is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub—sea and air against sea and land targets.

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

   Incorrect
   

   Solution: a

   These missiles are jointly being developed by India and Russia. The Missile is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub—sea and air against sea and land targets.
4. Question 4 of 5

   4. Question

   Consider the following statements with reference to Dada Saheb Phalke award:

   1. It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of  Culture.
   2. Prithviraj Kapoor is the sole posthumous recipient of this Award.

   Which of the above statements is/are correct?

   • a) 1 Only
   • b) 2 Only
   • c) Both
   • d) None
   Correct
   

   Solution: b

   Incorrect
   

   Solution: b
5. Question 5 of 5

   5. Question

   With reference to the Assam Record, which was signed in 1985, consider the following statements:

   1. It was a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) signed between the Government of India and the Government of Bangladesh.
   2. As per the Accord, those Bangladeshis who came between 1966 and 1971 will be barred from voting for ten years.
   3. According to the accord, all persons who crossed over from Bangladesh after 1971 are to be deported.

   Which of the above statements is/are correct?

   • a) 2 and 3 Only
   • b) 1 and 3 Only
   • c) 1 and 2 Only
   • d) All
   Correct
   

   Solution: a

    

    

   Incorrect
   

   Solution: a