CURRENT AFFAIRS: 25.06.2017

 

1.Haryana village named after US President

·       A nondescript village in Haryana was rechristened “Trump Sulabh Village” in a gesture to the American President ahead of Prime Minister’s trip to Washington.

·       This village was earlier known as Marora.

·       Sulabh International founder made an announcement to this effect in Washington this month.

·       The move aimed at encouraging businessmen to adopt villages in India to promote sanitation.

·       This gesture will also strengthen ties between the two countries.

·       The NGO plans to construct 120 toilets in the village, which has a population of around 1,500.

·       NGO is also planning to repair the Panchayat Bhawan, open a sewing training centre for women and set up a tuition centre for the children of widows.

 

NGOs

Ø Non-governmental organization is organization who works not-for-profit in many fields like human rights, environmental, improving health, or development work.

Ø They provide analysis and expertise, serve as early warning mechanisms and help monitor and implement international agreements.

Ø They areindependent from states and international governmental organizations.

Ø There are around 3.7 million NGOs worldwide.

Ø A non-profit organisations can be registered in India as a Society, under the Registrar of Societies or as a Trust, by making a Trust deed, or as a Section 8 Company, under the Companies Act, 2013.

Ø Some criticism of NGOs also occurs because of the unaccounted flow of fund to them. According to CBI only 10 percentage of NGO files return.

Ø Sometimes NGOs don’t fill their annual returns which violates FCRA.

 

FCRA

Ø Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010 seeks to regulate the foreign contributions or donations to organizations and individuals in India.

Ø This Act helps to curb the contributions by foreigners which might be detrimental to the national interest.

Ø  Despite being a law related to financial regulation, this law does not fall within the purview of the RBI but under the Home Ministry as it is an internal security legislation.

 

2.EC disqualifies Minister in M.P.

·       EC disqualified Minister in Madhya Pradesh government from membership of any State Legislature and contesting polls for the next three years.

·       This is done for filing wrong accounts of election expenditure.

·       Mr. Narottam Mishra’s membership has been revoked under section 10A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, to be read with Sections 77 and 78 of the Act.

·       This states of providing wrong information to the Commission on expenses incurred during polls.

·       Now his election has been termed void.

·       The EC’s 69-page order cites the issue of “paid news” which Mr. Mishra had paid for favourable coverage in newspapers in Datia during the course of the elections but had failed to mention expenses incurred for the same.

 

Representation of Peoples Act

Ø Article 324 to 329 of Part XV of the Constitution deals with the electoral system in our country.

Ø Constitution allows Parliament to make provisions in all matters relating to elections to the Parliament and State Legislatures.

Ø  In exercise of this power, the Parliament has enacted laws like Representation of the People Act 1950 (RPA Act 1950), Representation of the People Act 1951 (RPA Act 1951) and Delimitation Commission Act of 1952.

Ø Representation of Peoples Act 1950 (RPA Act 1950) provides for the following :

§  Qualification of voters.

§  Preparation of electoral rolls.

§  Delimitation of constituencies.

§  Allocation of seats in the Parliament and state legislatures.

 

3.West Bengal receives UN award for girl’s scheme

·       The UN has awarded “KanyashreePrakalpa” scheme of West Bengal government that promotes girl’s education.

·       West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee received a trophy and certificate at the UN Public Service Forum.

·       “KanyashreePrakalpa” scheme was chosen among 552 projects from 62 countries which were nominated for the award.

·       This scheme is a targeted conditional cash transfer scheme aimed at promoting education among girls. Over four million girls are already enrolled in the scheme.

·       Around $500 million has been transferred directly to the beneficiaries' bank account through the scheme, which is being implemented through 16,000 institutes and schools.

·       The scheme won the prestigious public service award for its ability to reach the poorest and the most vulnerable sections of the society through inclusive services and participation.

·       The winner in the Latin America-Caribbean Group was Argentina where in Santa Fe, the municipal body had launched a programme for early childhood education.

·       In the Western Group, the winner was the UK's Avon and Somerset Constabulary which has put together a programme to prevent senior citizens from being defrauded.

·       The Public Service Awards were launched in 2003.

·       This year's winners were announced during the UN Public Service Forum "The Future is Now - Accelerating Public Service Innovation for Agenda 2030".

Source: The Hindu

 

4.Damming river water impacts fish diversity

·       A new study has found that dams and other barriers across the rivers in the Western Ghats do affect fish species and their recovery downstream.

·       Barrier-free tributaries that drain in to these rivers can help fish recover even in dammed stretches.

·       Protecting such tributaries could be crucial to maintaining fish diversity in the Western Ghats.

·       The Western Ghat is home to 290 freshwater fish species, more than half of which are endemic.

·       To test the affect of barriers on fishes, scientists from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) compared fish diversity both upstream and downstream of barriers.

·       Studies in the upstream, barrier free stretches confirmed the presence of 28 fish species while number dipped immediately downstream of barriers.

·       This study could help policy makers and managers redesign hydrological barriers, and develop recovery plans for endemic species like mahseer.

Source: The Hindu

 

5.IISER Pune: Novel drug delivery system to kill cancer cells

·       Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune have successfully developed a novel cancer drug delivery system using graphene oxide nanoparticles.

·       The researchers found that when a FDA-approved anticancer drug cisplatin was added, the graphene oxide sheets self-assembled into spherical nano-particles enclosing the drug within.

·       The nanoparticle containing cisplatin alone was able to kill cancer cells. But there is additive effect when two drugs are used together (proflavine & doxorubicin) and efficiency of killing the cancer cells becomes better.

·       Though the study found that comparable concentration of doxorubicin and proflavine was required to kill 50% of the cells at the end of 48 hours.

·       The researchers are planning to undertake more studies using other cancer cells and eventually use animal models.

Source: The Hindu

  

6.Centre gives wings to international airport in Jewar

·       Centre gave its nod to develop a “world-class” international airport in Greater Noida’s Jewar, in Uttar Pradesh.

·       The clearance of the project was given by the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Steering Committee.

·       The Noida International Air-port will be built to handle 30-50 million passengers per year over the next decade.

·       The airport will be built in two phases, with the first phase expected to be operational in six years.

·       The airport will be built on a public-private partnership model with the GMR-led Delhi International Airport Limited which currently operates Indira Gandhi International Airport, getting the Right of First Refusal (RoFR) at the time of bidding for the Noida International Airport.

Source: The Hindu

 

QUESTIONS BASED ON

CURRENT AFFAIRS: 25.06.2017

 

1.                       In which state a village named “Trump Sulabh Village” after US president?

(a)        Bihar

(b)        Haryana

(c)         Punjab

(d)        Madhya Pradesh

 

2.                       Which of the following is/are correct?

(i)                 Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010 seeks to regulate the foreign contributions or donations to organizations and individuals in India.

(ii)            This law fall within purview of RBI

 

(a)        I only

(b)        ii only

(c)         both I and ii

(d)        none of the above

 

3.                       Which of the following is/are correct?

(i)                 Article 321 to 341 of Part XV of the Constitution deals with the electoral system in our country.

(ii)            Constitution allows Election Commission to make provisions in all matters relating to elections to the Parliament and State Legislatures.

 

(a)        I only