IAS Current Affairs 2016 | Comprehensive News Analysis 24 April 2016

Useful News Articles

A. GS1 Related

1. Amid encroachments and vandalism, 18th century ZafarMahal in sorry state

Topic: Indian heritage and culture Category: Indian Architecture Location: The Indian Express, Page 7 Key points: Historians say Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor, used to live in ZafarMahal before he was exiled to Myanmar by the British. ZafarMahal, the 18th century monument located in the overcrowded Mehrauli village in south Delhi, was built as a summer place during the fading years of the Mughal era. Despite the monument being declared a national heritage site by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the 1920s, surrounding buildings are slowly eating up its space.

B. GS2 Related

1. Priming the polio fight

Topic: Social Justice Category: Health Location: The Hindu, Page 10 Key points: The Switch Beginning April 25, India will stop using the oral polio vaccine (OPV) with all three strains of the poliovirus (type 1, type 2 and type 3) and instead use OPV vaccines with only two strains — type 1 and type 3. The global vaccine “switch”, from trivalent to bivalent OPV, has been recommended by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) as a critical component of the polio endgame strategy. The Risk Of OPV Though polio cases caused by wild virus have reduced by 99.9 per cent since 1988 through immunisation using OPV, the vaccine can, under rare in- stances, cause polio in unprotected children. This because OPV contains live, weakened (attenuated) virus, which, on rare occasions, can turn virulent, continue to circulate in the community and cause vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV).

2. Political ideology of lawyers key to promotion, says survey

Topic: Constitution Category: Supreme court. Location: The Indian Express, Page 9 Key points: Overwhelming majority in the legal fraternity, according to the survey conducted by legal portal Bar and Bench, feels that a lawyer has a better chance of being designated senior if somebody in his family is already a designated senior. Over 95 per cent respondents said there should be a uniform system across all high courts for designation of senior advocates. Process:The Supreme Court and state high courts designate eligible lawyers as senior, either suomotu or after inviting applications. But the process seriously lacks transparency. Proposed solution :The Attorney General who is also amicus curiae for this purpose,in his report to the courtfavoured changes to the existing system of designation, adding that the full court should consider names only after scrutiny by another body.

3. Centre notifies rules for amended SC/ST Act

Topic: Social Justice Category: Empowerment of weaker sections. Location: The Hindu, Page 12 Key points: Four months back Parliament amended the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989 to tighten provisions to ensure speedier justice to SCs and STs. The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry notified the Rules to give effect to the changes on the same on April 14. The 1989 Act was amended by Parliament on December 21, 2015, after the RajyaSabha gave assent. The objective of the amended provisionsis

To speed up the process of dispensation of justice.
Liberalise and expedite access to relief for victims of atrocities.
Ensuring special sensitivity in cases of offences against women.

4. For parties, ignoring arsenic menace is expedient

Topic: Social Justice Category: Health Location: The Hindu, Page 13 Key points: Arsenic contamination of groundwater is creative massive health issues to inhabitants of certain rural areas. According to the World Health Organization’s guidelines for drinking water quality (1971), the permissible limit of Arsenic in groundwater is 0.05 mg per litre which is violated in these areas. Victims of contamination may suffer from excruciating pain whenever the skin comes into contact with sunlight, water or even clothes.

5. Legal system too expensive for most Indians: Survey

Topic: Governance Category: Judiciary Location: The Hindu, Page 13 Key points: The nationwide “Access to Justice” survey :

90 per cent of the litigants earn less than Rs. 3 lakh per annum and the median expected cost of litigation for this group is around Rs. 16,000.
The survey shows that two-thirds of all civil disputes were regarding land and property, followed by litigation on family matters.

The India Human Development Survey also found that a majority of Indians had a great deal of confidence in the judiciary. But this is not the case everywhere. The people of Bastar don’t even go to court or police because they see it as a tool in the hand of the State to oppress them,

C. GS3 Related

1. New mining exploration policy moots incentives

Topic: Economy of india Category: Resources of India Location: The Hindu, Page 1 Key points: Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulations) Act of 2015.

Reconnaissance permits cannot be converted into a prospecting license or a mining license, though there was a provision for that in the earlier version of the law.
Union government will reimburse the costs to mining firms that fail to find adequate mineral wealth and offer them a share of the revenue from blocks where they do strike valuable reserves.
The new changes are aimed at making the exploration more attractive for private players .

2. Panama disease stalks banana cultivation in Kerala

Topic: Environment Category: Environmental degradation Location: The Hindu, Page 8 Key points: Panamadisease ,also called Fusarium Wilt of banana, is caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusariumoxysporum f. sp. Cubense (Foc). The fungus enters the plant through the roots and goes on to colonise the plant through the vascular system. It causes discoloration and wilting of leaves, and eventually kills the plant. The Banana plantations in kerala are being threatened by this strain of fungus recently.

D. GS4 Related

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E. Important Editorials: A Quick Glance

F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:

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G. Fun with Practice Questions 🙂

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