Hearing a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) on the Badlapur sexual assault case, the Bombay High Court said that the State of Maharashtra must sensitise boys to be able to build a safe environment for girls to grow in the society.
About Public Interest Litigation (PIL):
The expression ‘Public Interest Litigation’ has been borrowed from American jurisprudence, where it was designed to provide legal representation to previously unrepresented groups like the poor, the racial minorities, unorganized consumers, citizens who were passionate about environmental issues, etc.
Public interest Litigation (PIL) means litigation filed in a court of law, for the protection of “Public Interest”, such as Pollution, Terrorism, Road safety, Constructional hazards etc. Any matter where the interest of the public at large is affected can be redressed by filing a Public Interest Litigation in a court of law.
It is not defined in any statute or in any act. It has been interpreted by judges to consider the intent of the public at large.
It is the power given to the public by courts through judicial activism. However, the person filing the petition must prove to the satisfaction of the court that the petition is being filed for a public interest and not just as a frivolous litigation by a busy body.
The court can itself take cognizance of the matter and proceed suo motu or cases can commence on the petition of any public spirited individual.
Some of the matters which are entertained under PIL are:
Bonded Labour matters
Neglected Children
Non-payment of minimum wages to workers and exploitation of casual workers
Atrocities on women
Environmental pollution and disturbance of ecological balance
Food adulteration
Maintenance of heritage and culture
International Relations
Topic: International Institutions
2.World Bank
Why in the news?
The World Bank has forecast a growth of 7% for the Indian economy for the current fiscal year, upping its earlier estimate of 6.6%.
About World Bank:
It is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low and middle-income/developing countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects.
It was established along with the IMF at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference.
The World Bank Group includes:
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD):
It provides loans, credits and grants.
International Development Association (IDA):
It provides low or no-interest loans to low-income countries.
International Finance Corporation (IFC):
It provides investment, advice and asset management to private companies and governments.
Multilateral Guarantee Agency (MIGA):
It insures lenders and investors against political risk such as war.
International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID):
It settles investment-disputes between investors and countries.
These all serve the dual objectives of the World Bank Group, which are to end extreme poverty by 2030 and increase shared prosperity for the bottom 40% of the population worldwide.
It is run by a President and 25 executive directors. IBRD and IDA have 189 and 174 member countries, respectively, and the S., Japan, China, Germany and the U.K. have the largest voting power.
Topic: Africa
3.Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Why in the news?
An attempted jail break from Democratic Republic of Congo's largest prison has left at least 129 people dead and led to women being raped.
The circumstances around the bid to bust out of the Makala prison in the capital Kinshasa, which holds 10 times the number it is meant to house, remain unclear.
About Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC):
It is the second largest country in Africa and the eleventh largest in the world.
It has a small coastline with the Atlantic Ocean.
It is bounded to the north by the Central African Republic and South Sudan; to the east by Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania; to the southeast by Zambia; and to the southwest by Angola.
Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, is located on the Congo River. Congo River is the only river to cross the equator twice in Africa.
Its official language is French, but other languages include Kituba, Lingala, Swahili, and Tshiluba.
Katanga Plateau is considered to be a rich mining region, which supplies cobalt, copper, tin, radium, uranium, and diamonds.
Geography
Topic: Rivers
4.Amazon River
Why in the news?
The Amazon river is grappling with a severe environmental crisis as its levels continue to fall due to last year's record drought and insufficient rainfall this season.
The Brazilian Geological Service (SGB) has issued warnings that all rivers in the Amazon basin are expected to drop below their historical levels, posing significant challenges for navigation and local communities.
About Amazon River:
It is the world's largest river by water volume and width.
It is the second-longest river in the world after the Nile.
Course:
Its journey begins high in the Andes Mountains.
The river then makes its way east through thousands of miles of rainforests and lowlands until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean on the northeastern coast of Brazil.
During the dry season, its width can be 4 km to 5 km in places and in the wet season, this can increase to 50 km.
Drainage:
It has the largest drainage area of any river system.
Its watershed spans the countries of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and Bolivia.
Roughly two-thirds of the Amazon’s main stream and by far the largest portion of its basin are within Brazil.
Water Discharge:
It releases high amounts of freshwater into the Atlantic Ocean at 300,000 m3 per second.
It accounts for one-fifth of the total volume of freshwater entering the oceans globally.
It has more than 1,100 tributaries, including the Rio Negro, Madeira and Xingu Rivers.
Amazon Rainforest:
These represent about half of the Earth’s remaining rainforest.
These are referred to as the "lungs of the Earth" due to their role in regulating the planet's oxygen and carbon cycles.
Topic: Hills
5.Chamundi Hills
Why in the news?
Karnataka Chief Minister said no discussion took place on the ropeway project for Chamundi Hills at the first meeting of the Sri Chamundeshwari Kshetra Development Authority atop the hills here.
About Chamundi Hills:
It is located in the city of Mysore, Karnataka.
Its average elevation is 1,060 m.
The famous Sri Chamundeshwari Temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Chamundeshwari is situated on top of these hills.
In the earlier days, the Hill was identified as ‘Mahabaladri’ in honour of God Shiva who resides in the ‘Mahabaleswara Temple’. This is the oldest temple on the hills.
It has been mentioned in the ancient Hindu scriptures of Skanda Purana.
Sri Chamundeshwari Temple:
It is dedicated to the Goddess Chamundeshwari (Chamundi), who is
slayer of demon Mahishasura and resides there as Mahishasuramradhini.
deity of the Mysore Royal Family.
It is built in the Dravidian style of temple architecture.
It has a quadrangular structure.
It has an impressive seven-tier tower called ‘gopuram’ and an equally imposing entrance which is known as ‘dwara’.
Environment and Ecology
Topic: Biodiversity
6.Cocoa Tree
Why in the news?
Scientists and entrepreneurs are working on ways to make more cocoa that stretch well beyond the tropics, from Northern California to Israel.
California Cultured, a plant cell culture company, is growing cocoa from cell cultures at a facility in West Sacramento, California. It puts cocoa bean cells in a vat with sugar water so they reproduce quickly and reach maturity in a week rather than the six to eight months a traditional harvest takes. The process also no longer requires as much water or arduous labour.
About Cocoa Tree:
It is an important plantation crop grown for chocolates around the world.
It is known as a crop of humid tropics and is native to the Amazon basin of South America.
It grows about 20 degrees north and south of the equator in regions with warm weather and abundant rain, including West Africa and South America.
Climatic conditions:
It can be grown up to 300 m above mean sea level.
It requires an annual rainfall of 1500-2000 mm.
The temperature range of 15°-39°C with optimum of 25°C is considered ideal.
It requires deep and well drained soils. Majority of area under its cultivation is on clay loam and sandy loam soil.
It grows well in the pH range of 6.5 to 7.0.
It evolved as an under-storey crop in the Amazonian forests. Thus commercial cultivation of cocoa can be taken up in plantations where 50 per cent of light is ideally available.
About 70 percent of the world’s cocoa beans come from four West African countries: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon.
In India, it is mainly cultivated in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu mainly as intercrop with Arecanut and Coconut.
Plantation crops:
These are a group of commercial crops perennial in nature, cultivated extensively in tropical and subtropical situations in large and contiguous areas.
They include coconut, areca nut, oil palm, cocoa, cashew nut, tea, coffee and rubber.
Topic: Protected Areas
7.Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary
Why in the news?
Four monkeys found dead at Aralam wildlife sanctuary in Kerala were infected with monkey malaria.
Post-mortem examination report of carcasses confirms presence of monkey malaria, marking the first case of the disease reported in the sanctuary.
About Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary:
It is located on the western slopes of Western Ghats and it is the northernmost wildlife sanctuary of Kerala.
It is contiguous with Wayanad-Brahmagiri, Wayanad northern slopes and the Protected Areas of Karnataka State namely the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary and also the forests of Coorg.
The Cheenkannipuzha river forms the main drainage system on the southern side. Other rivers flowing through this sanctuary include the Narikkadavu Thodu, Kurukka Thodu and Meenu Kutty Thodu rivers.
It includes west coast tropical evergreen forest, west coast semi-evergreen forests, South Indian moist deciduous forest, southern hilltop evergreen forest and plantations.
It is the only protected area of the west coast tropical evergreen forest of Dipterocarpus-Mesua-Palaquium type.
Its highest peak is Katti Betta.
The major tree species found here include Artiocarpus heterophyllus, Bishofia javanica, Calophyllum elatum, Cannarium strictum, Cullenia exarillita, Dipterocarpus sp, Drypetes elata, Dysoxylum malabaricum, Elaeocarpus tuberculatus etc.
Elephant, Gaur, Tiger, Panther, Sambar, Spotted deer, Barking deer, Wild boar, Sloth bear, Nilgiri langur, Bonnet macaque, Common langur, Wild dog, common otter, Malabar giant squirrel etc are the major mammals found here.
Science
Topic: Health Issues
8.Presbyopia
Why in the news?
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given its final approval for ENTOD Pharmaceuticals PresVu eye drops specifically developed to reduce dependency on reading glasses for individuals affected by presbyopia, a common age-related vision condition that typically impacts those over 40.
The approval follows an earlier recommendation by the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
About Presbyopia:
It is the gradual loss of the eyes' ability to focus on nearby objects.
The symptoms of presbyopia usually begin around the age of 40 and worsen until around 65.
To correct this defect, a person is prescribed bifocal lens that has both types of lenses - convex and concave.
Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO):
It is the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) of India for the medical devices industry under the provisions of the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules.
It works under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) is the head of the CDSCO.
Its headquarters are in New Delhi.
It is responsible for laying down the standards for drugs and approval of new drugs.
Topic: Diseases
9.Dengue
Why in the news?
The Karnataka Government declared dengue fever as an epidemic disease, in response to the increasing number of cases across the state.
According to a gazette notification, the government will enforce stringent measures to control the spread of dengue fever, which has been identified as a significant public health concern.
As many as 25,408 cases of dengue have been reported across Karnataka with a death toll of 12.
About Dengue:
It is a mosquito-borne viral infection.
It is also known as break-bone fever.
It is more common in tropical and subtropical climates, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas.
While many dengue infections are asymptomatic or produce only mild illness, the virus can occasionally cause more severe cases, and even death.
Transmission:
It is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitos carrying one of four types of dengue virus (DENV).
It isn’t contagious from person to person except when passed from a pregnant person to their child.
A person can be infected with dengue multiple times in their life.
Symptoms:
The most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and rash. Most will get better in 1–2 weeks.
A very small portion of people with dengue fever get a severe case. It’s called dengue hemorrhagic fever.
Symptoms show up as the fever begins to ease. These may include vomiting that does not go away, rapid breathing, blood in vomit, and bleeding gums.
Individuals who are infected for the second time are at greater risk of severe dengue. In severe cases, dengue can be fatal.
Treatment:
There is no specific medicine to treat dengue. The focus is on treating pain symptoms.
It is generally treated with supportive care such as pain relievers, bed rest, and fluids.
Economy
Topic: Fiscal Policy
10.Capital Expenditure
Why in the news?
Private sector borrowings are set to rise in the coming years spurred by a revival in capital expenditure with the resultant demand for funds expected to be largely met by households, Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor Michael D. Patra said at the Financing 3.0 summit.
About Capital Expenditure:
It is an expense that creates permanent assets and yields regular income for the government.
It is defined by the Union government as money spent on the acquisition of assets such as buildings, land, machinery, and equipment, as well as stock investments.
Examples of Capital Expenditure include:
Loans given by the government to states, PSUs, financial institutions and external loans given to any foreign governments or foreign bodies.
Loan repayment of the past borrowing which consists of only the capital part of the loan repayment as the element of interest on loans are shown as a part of the revenue expenditure.
The portion of government payments that goes toward the construction of assets such as schools, colleges, hospitals, roads, bridges, dams, railway lines, airports, and seaports is known as capital expenditure.
The acquisition of new weaponry and weapon systems, such as missiles, tanks, fighter planes, and submarines, necessitates a significant financial outlay.
The defense sector receives over a third of the central government’s capital spending, primarily for armament acquisitions.
Significance:
It helps in capital assets formation which provides future cash flows.
It serves as a macroeconomic stabilizer and is an excellent instrument for countercyclical fiscal policy.
It has a multiplier effect on the economy.
It creates more jobs and improves labour productivity.
Defense and Security
Topic: Government Bodies
11.Defence Acquisition Council (DAC)
Why in the news?
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister, accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), the preliminary step of the long procurement process, for 10 capital acquisition proposals amounting to ₹1,44,716 crore. These include procurement of seven stealth frigates under Project-17B, future-ready combat vehicles (FRCV) for the Army as a replacement for the main battle tanks, air defense fire control radars (FCR), Dornier-228 aircraft, next generation fast patrol and offshore patrol vessels.
About Defence Acquisition Council (DAC):
It is the highest decision-making body of the defense ministry on procurement.
Its main objective is to ensure expeditious procurement of the approved requirements of the armed forces in terms of capabilities sought and time frame prescribed by optimally utilizing the allocated budgetary resources.
It was formed after the Group of Minister's recommendations on 'Reforming the National Security System', in 2001, post-Kargil War (1999).
Composition:
The Defence Minister is the chairman of DAC.
Its members include the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Its functions include:
Give in principle approval of a 15 yearsLong Term Integrated Perspective Plan (LTIPP) for defense forces
Accord of acceptance of necessity to acquisition proposals
Categorisation of the acquisition proposals relating to ‘Buy’, ‘Buy & Make’, and ‘Make’
Look into issues relating to single vendor clearance
Take decisions regarding ‘offset’ provisions in respect of acquisition proposals above Rs 300 crore
Take decisions regarding the Transfer of Technology under the ‘Buy & Make’ category of acquisition proposals
Field trial evaluation
Art and Culture
Topic: Musical Instruments
12.Thanjavur Veena
Why in the news?
The Thanjavur veena is the first musical instrument in the country to get the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
About Thanjavur Veena :
It is an Indian instrument and has an interesting construction.
It is of two types viz. Ekantha Veena and Sada Veena.
Ekantha Veena" is carved from a single block of wood, while Sada Veena has joints and is carved in three sections namely resonator, neck and head.
It has 24 fixed frets (Mettu), so that all ragas can be played.
It is made of fresh bark from a Jack Fruit Tree. The tree bark is forced to undergo several rounds of testing before being finalized for usage.
The work involves making the resonator (kudam), the neck (dandi) and a tuning box, the three integral parts of a veena.
It takes up to 15-20 days to get the finished product. The wood gets cut, intricately carved, shaped, and assembled.
There are four types of veena i.e. Rudra veena, Vichitra veena, Saraswati veena and Chitra veena.
While Rudra veena and Vichitra veena are popular in Hindustani classical music, Saraswati veena and Chitra veena are used in Carnatic classical music.
Thanjavur is the only place where Saraswati veena is made. Saraswathi, the goddess of learning and arts, is portrayed with a veena.
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