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National: Cracking IAS Academy's - IAS Express - August 2010
National: Cracking IAS Academy's - IAS Express - August 2010
National
Ajaat movement - anti-caste social reform
*Court of inquiry ordered into Mangalore movement
The ajaat was a bold social movement of the
air crash: A court of inquiry has been 1920s and '30s that at its peak had tens of
appointed to inquire into the May 22 crash of thousands of committed followers in what
an Air India Express aircraft at the Mangalore are present-day Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. It was led by
airport, in which 158 people, including a six- social reformer Ganpati Bhabhutkar better
member crew, were killed. Air Marshal known as Ganpati Maharaj. Apart from the
(Retd.) Bhushan Nilkanth Gokhale will hold usual anti-liquor and anti-violence norms of
such movements, he attacked caste frontally.
the investigation. Many stopped idol worship at his call. He
pressed for gender equality and even railed
against private property. And, in the 1930s,
Tropical cyclone Phet was the third
he and his followers declared themselves as
named cyclone of the 2010 North ‘ajaat.'The movement waned over years, as
Indian Ocean cyclone season. The low some followers left on the caste issue, and
pressure area in the Arabian Sea was with its Gurus's death in 1944.
converted into a Tropical Cyclone on
31 May.
It initially moved to the northwest * Vaxiflu-S: India launched its first
direction near Oman but later turned indigenously manufactured anti-influenza
more towards the North before vaccine that will protect people against the A
reaching the Arabian Peninsula and (H1N1) flu, which has killed over 1,500 people
later to a northeastern track onto
in the country since the pandemic broke out last
Pakistan.
year. Manufactured by Zydus-Cadila
It lashed the coastal areas and some
Healthcare, Vaxiflu-S is a monovalent single-
other parts of Gujarat late on June 6.
dose vaccine will be effective for one year. It
can be used only by people in the age group 18-
*India committed to n-liability regime:
Assuring the US of India's commitment to a 60 and is not meant for children, pregnant
nuclear liability regime, External Affairs women and those allergic to eggs.
Minister S M Krishna has invited American
companies to invest in India and make a robust *Code of conduct for safe and honourable
partnership with two-way trade in advanced tourism unveiled: It was conceptualised and
technology products. Krishna, who leads the drafted by Ministry of Tourism in association
first India-US strategic dialogue at the with the Indian chapter of Pacific Asia Travel
ministerial level with US Secretary of State
Association (PATA), Save the Children - India,
Hillary Clinton, said encouraging innovation
an NGO, United Nations Office on Drugs and
and entrepreneurship by engaging the medium-
sized companies in the US and India is another Crimes (UNODC) and Equitable Tourism
priority. Option (EQUATIONS).
developing nations: Ahead of the August exclude the goal of “integration into Euro-
Atlantic security and membership in
round of negotiations at Bonn, the BASIC
NATO”. The Bill submitted by President
(Brazil, South Africa, India and China)
Viktor Yanukovych commits Ukraine to
countries will meet in Rio de Janeiro in late
“a non-bloc policy which means non-
July. This will be the third quarterly meeting of
participation in military-political
the four countries. It is expected that the other
alliances”.
developing countries will be invited to take part
Kiev formally applied to join NATO in
in the deliberations. This is a part of the 2008, and even though the alliance failed
agreement that the four countries agreed to at to immediately give the green light to the
their May meeting in Cape Town. Ukrainian bid, Mr. Yushchenko vowed to
*Dhaka blaze: Bangladeshi firefighters said *The way forward in Nepal: A political and
that an illegal chemical warehouse had fuelled a constitutional crisis of sorts was averted in
toxic blaze that ripped through one of Dhaka's Nepal when Nepal’s three major political
most densely populated areas, killing nearly parties [Unified Communist Party of Nepal-
120 people. Maoist (UCPN-Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC)
and Communist Party of Nepal- Unified
*Israel diverts Gaza aid ship Rachel Corrie Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML)] inked a
to Ashdod: An aid ship intercepted by the compromise deal, an hour before the expiry of
Israeli military while trying to break the the Constituent Assembly’s (CA’s) tenure, and
blockade of Gaza has arrived in the Israeli port voted in favor of a bill proposing extension of
of Ashdod. Israel says its soldiers boarded the its term by a year, thus saving the country’s
four-year-old peace process from breaking
The India’s stance is that Nimoo Bazgo is government had asked the missions in four
a run-of-the-river project. According to the central Asian countries, Russia and China to
IWT, India could build as many run-of-the- explore the nature of rule changes for joining
river projects on the western rivers of Indus the SCO that are under way. India would take a
Basin as it wants. “All that India needs to view on joining the SCO after the criteria are
do is to provide information to Pakistan adopted. India's inclination comes amid the
about the projects six months in advance. SCO's plan to take into its fold more countries
Pakistan needs to convey its objections, if from the near neighbourhood, including
any, within three months of the receipt of Pakistan and possibly Iran. The rules for
information from us. India does not need enrolment are expected to be unveiled around
to take any formal clearance from the next SCO summit, scheduled for June in
Pakistan for such projects. India already Tashkent.
provided Pakistan with information about An entry into the SCO will allow India to
Nimoo Bazgo and 32 other projects it is play a greater role in the region, besides
building or has plans to build on Chenab, helping to narrow down the differences
Jhelum and Indus. Indian officials with its neighbours towards a solution in
that none of its projects would result in one of the core issues at the SCO summit,
will look at its role in ensuring availability the English Club, ACTA will try to
of good-quality, safe, efficacious and implement a variety of major provisions,
affordable drugs, and also look at its from the criminalization of peer-to-peer
relationship with the controversial engine development, to thought crime (such
International Medical Products Anti- as imminent infringement), and the seizure
Counterfeiting Taskforce. of international pharmaceutical shipments –
• International Medical Products Anti- even those that just past through a
Counterfeiting Taskforce (IMPACT) was stentorian country’s port.
launched by WHO in 2006, but it allegedly
• In 2007, the EU and a number of other
represents the interest of multinational
WTO members began work on a new
pharmaceutical firms. WHO, in partnership
international agreement – the Anti-
with IMPACT, has been actively
Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).
considering using the term counterfeit to
The EU's objective with ACTA partners is
define fake and spurious medicines.
to have a new plurilateral treaty improving
* India mobilizing forces against Anti- global standards for the enforcement of
controversial way that some of the wealthier trade in a number of areas including
nations (U.S., EU, Canada, Japan, and pharmaceuticals and IT products. Therefore
Australia) and corporations are trying to use to India and China have decided to rake up the
*India taps NSG over China-Pakistan n- *India, Canada sign civil nuclear deal: The
deal: Concerned about the China-Pakistan deal provides for cooperation in civil nuclear
nuclear deal, India has sought more details on it energy including import of uranium and
*World's smallest, lightest telemedicine * Moon has more water than Great Lakes:
microscope invented: Aydogan Ozcan, an • Scientists have found Moon's minerals may
engineer, has created a miniature microscope; have at least 100 times more water than
the world's smallest and lightest for previously indicated by remote sensing data
telemedicine applications. from the Indian spacecraft Chandrayaan-1
• The microscope builds on imaging and other lunar sample analysis.
technology known as LUCAS (Lensless • In March 2010, a US space agency NASA
Ultra-wide-field Cell Monitoring Array radar experiment aboard Chandrayaan-1,
platform based on Shadow imaging). India's first lunar spacecraft launched by the
• Instead of using a lens to magnify objects, Indian Space Research Organization in
LUCAS generates holographic images of October 2008, found thick deposits of water-
microparticles or cells by employing a light- ice near the Moon's North Pole.
emitting diode to illuminate the objects and a • Scientists at the Carnegie Institution's
digital sensor array to capture their images. Geophysical Laboratory in Washington now
• The lensless microscope, in addition to being estimate that the volume of water molecules
far more compact and lightweight than locked inside minerals in the Moon's interior
conventional microscopes, also obviates the could exceed the amount of water in the Great
regional connectivity. For this purpose it green innovations - Green Growth emphasizes
proposes an agenda with five prongs. environmentally sustainable consumption and
sustain a trajectory from poverty to security, as technologies and products. Because of market
basic rights. failures such investments may not be
revolution - In Asia and the Pacific the innovations will initially need government
majority of poor people live in the rural areas support.
and derive most of their income from 4. Enhancing financial inclusion - A
agriculture – so are likely to benefit from well functioning financial system is crucial to
agricultural growth. Since the 1970s such economic growth, but this will not be enough to
growth was based largely on the Green ensure expanded aggregate demand. If the poor
Revolution which helped the region achieve are to release their pent-up demand they will
significant yield increases – though the high need access to a more diverse and appropriate
input intensity also caused well documented range of financial products and services. This
problems. Now, as the region aims for more would include savings, credit and insurance
balanced economic growth, it needs a second, products tailored to their requirements – on
more knowledge-intensive green revolution that more favourable terms and with less stringent
combines advances in science and agricultural demands for collateral. This has been shown to
engineering with the region’s unique traditional have clear benefits. Governments will need to
Note:- Pseudomonas putida has been found to be useful in the detection of certain
chemicals, such as land mines. On the grand scale, a linkage between the bacteria's ability to
degrade TNT and the explosive compound found in land mines has inspired research to utilize P.
putida as a way of detecting land mines from soil content.
Advantages of bioremediation
• Bioremediation is a natural process and is therefore perceived by the public as an acceptable
waste treatment process for contaminated material such as soil. Microbes able to degrade the
contaminant increase in numbers when the contaminant is present; when the contaminant is
degraded, the biodegradative population declines. The residues for the treatment are usually
harmless products and include carbon dioxide, water, and cell biomass.
• Theoretically, bioremediation is useful for the complete destruction of a wide variety of
contaminants. Many compounds that are legally considered to be hazardous can be
PHYTOREMEDIATION
The rhizosphere is the zone of soil surrounding a plant root where the biology and chemistry of the soil are influenced by
the root. This zone is about 1 mm wide, but has no distinct edge. Rather, it is an area of intense biological and chemical
activity influenced by compounds exuded by the root, and by microorganisms feeding on the compounds.
The phytoremediation concept is based on the well-known ability of plants and their
associated rhizospheres [The rhizosphere is the zone of soil surrounding a plant root where the
biology and chemistry of the soil are influenced by the root.] to concentrate and/or degrade
highly dilute contaminants. Root exudates - complex root secretions, which "feed" the
microorganisms by providing carbohydrates, also contain natural chelating agents (citric, acetic,
and other organic acids) that make the ions of both nutrients and contaminants more mobile in the
soil.
Large green plants have the capability to move large amounts of soil solution into the plant
body through the roots and evaporate this water out of the leaves as pure water vapor in a process
called transpiration. Plants transpire water to move nutrients from the soil solution to leaves and
stems, where photosynthesis occurs, and to cool the plant. During this process, contaminants
present in the soil water are also taken up and sequestered, metabolized, or vaporized out of the
leaves along with the transpired water.
Low water use is a trait considered desirable in most economically important plants.
However, some plants are notoriously poor at water conservation, usually because they normally
grow in moist environments (e.g., hybrid poplars, willows, bulrush, marsh grasses). Such species
are good candidates for phytoremediation plants because they take up and "process" large
volumes of soil water.
Some examples of plants used in phyoremediation practices are water hyacinths (Eichhornia
crassipes), poplar tress (Papulus spp), amongst others.
1. Indian mustard Brassica juncea are used to extract the heavy metal lead from contaminated
soil.
2. Thlaspi caerulescens accumulates upto 26,000 ppm of cadmium or zinc from the
contaminated soil, while a normal plant accumulates around 100ppm of heavy metal.
3. Ipomea alpina accumulates around 12,000 ppm of copper from contaminated soil.
4. Haumaniastrum robertii accumulates around 10,200 ppm of cobalt from the contaminated
soil surface.
It measures how much land and water area a When the EF is larger than the BC the
on a sustainable basis the renewable resources months to regenerate what we use in a year.
it consumes, and to absorb the waste it We maintain this overshoot by liquidating the
generates, using prevailing technology. Earth’s resources. Overshoot is a vastly
Biocapacity (BC) measures the bioproductive underestimated threat to human well-being and
supply that is available within a certain area the health of the planet, and one that is not
(e.g. of arable land, pasture, forest, productive adequately addressed.
sea). EF and BC are tantamount to the concepts
The referendum was held just two The just-ended Nuclear Non-
weeks after violent clashes between Kyrgyz Proliferation Treaty Review Conference held at
and Uzbek ethnic groups in the southern cities the U.N. headquarters in New York
of Osh and Jalalabad. unanimously adopted a final report that
includes a 64-point action plan. Although
negotiations ran into difficulties over
conflicting interests between nuclear powers
Call: us: 09884554654 52
cracking IAS academy’s - IAS Express - August 2010
and non-nuclear states, the parties managed to If it is difficult to immediately start
prevent the talks from stalling, which is what negotiations among the nuclear powers, why
happened in 2005 when they last met. While not set up a meeting of experts for a policy
the final document is a product of compromise, dialogue to prepare for the 2014 meeting?
we need to urgently make the most of the For the first time, the adopted final
numerous policy points it incorporates. document made reference to the idea of "a
For example, the parties agreed to report treaty to ban nuclear weapons" proposed by
on progress toward nuclear disarmament when nongovernmental organizations. The
they meet in 2014 for the preparatory meeting International Commission on Nuclear Non-
for the 2015 NPT review conference and to Proliferation and Disarmament, which is a
discuss follow-up measures at the review Japanese-Australian joint initiative, also
conference. published a proposal last year-end that called
The hopes of many non-nuclear for a reduction in nuclear arsenals around the
countries were dashed when the conference world to 2,000 or less by 2025. It also called for
could not agree on a road map for the work to begin on drawing up a nuclear weapons
abolition of nuclear weapons. But in a major ban treaty.
step forward, the conference strengthened its Prospects for the signing of the treaty
function to check nuclear disarmament efforts. have yet to take shape. It will also take time to
The NPT regime will not work unless parties, create the climate for that to happen. Still, the
aside from tackling nuclear nonproliferation, world will eventually need a comprehensive
also ratchet up successes directed at the international law to support steps to rid the
abolition of nuclear weapons. Nuclear powers planet of nuclear weapons. We urge the parties
need to squarely face this weighty reality. to gather wisdom from around the world to
Traditionally, nuclear reduction talks expedite this vision.
have centered on the United States and Russia. North Korea, India and Pakistan have
There is now a need to seek a multilateral conducted nuclear tests. Iran is suspected of
framework that includes Britain, France and developing nuclear weapons and Israel is a de
China. The agenda of talks among the five facto nuclear power. These countries developed
nuclear powers will cover, among other things, nuclear weapons because of deep-rooted
conventional forces and missile defense regional confrontation. It is also reality that
systems, in which the United States has an unless confidence-building and negotiations for
overwhelming advantage. peace-building and arms control are promoted
to solve regional problems, nuclear risks cannot
Okinawa is the focal point of the security opened the door to the broad political dialogue
treaty between the US and Japan which has that has since evolved, notably through annual
balanced military power in north-east Asia since Summits since 2000, and through regular
World War II. ministerial and expert-level meetings.
Under the pact, Japan - which is prevented In recognition of both sides’ political
from maintaining a war-ready army by its and economic importance the EU-India
constitution - subsidises the US military presence
Strategic Partnership was created in 2004 to
while the US guarantees Japan's security.
enable the partners to better address complex
The issue is the U.S. Marine Corps
international issues in the context of
Futenma Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. In 2006,
globalisation. To underpin the Strategic
Japan and the United States agreed to move the air
base elsewhere in Okinawa. Residents and local Partnership, leaders at the 2005 Summit
politicians want the base off the island entirely, and adopted the EU-India Joint Action Plan (the
during last year’s campaign, Prime Minister Yukio ‘JAP’) which defined common objectives and
Hatoyama and his Democratic Party of Japan proposed a wide range of supporting activities
promised to revisit the matter if elected. Their in the areas of political, economic, and
smaller coalition partner Social Democratic Party development cooperation.
Following a Mid-term Review exercise mental impairment. This impairment can range
conducted in 2009 the second MIP (2011-13) from learning disabilities to more severe
allocates an indicative total of €210 million to cognitive or intellectual disabilities. (Also
the same sectors as previously, but with an referred to as mental retardation.)
increased allocation for the social sectors.
7. Preparatory Actions
Financing under the Community budget
for ‘Preparatory Actions’ in India was
introduced by the European Parliament in 2007
to promote EU interests in business and
research exchanges. Under the Preparatory
Action for India, a European Business and
Technology Centre (EBTC) has been
established in New Delhi as a one-stop shop to FXS is the most common known cause
provide EU companies with information on of autism or "autistic-like" behaviors.
rules, regulations, standards, key market Symptoms also can include characteristic
barriers, and general trade and investment- physical and behavioral features and delays in
related matters. The EBTC will also promote speech and language development.
the establishment of research networks between It results from a change, or mutation, in
Europe and India and will support EU-India a single gene, which can be passed from one
dialogues in various sectors. generation to the next. Fragile X appears in
The Centre is focusing primarily on families of every ethnic group and income
energy, transport, the environment and biotech, level.
promoting climate change as a general cross- Symptoms of Fragile X syndrome occur
cutting issue, and sustainable technologies in because the mutated gene cannot produce
which Europe has considerable experience. The enough of a protein that is needed by the body's
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