Daily Current Affairs including static notes - 30 MAY

The Hindu -

NGT notice on halt road through Corbett (Env)

  • A plea seeking a stay on the construction of a link road linking Kotdwar to Ramnagar through the Corbett Tiger Reserve was filed with the NGT recently.
  • This has led the National Green Tribunal to seek responses from the Uttarakhand government and the Centre.

Details:  

A Bench headed by NGT acting Chairperson Jawad Rahim on Tuesday issued show-cause notices to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, National Tiger Conservation Authority, National Board for Wildlife, NBBC (India) Limited and State government. The authorities have been asked to file their replies within two weeks.
The orders came while the green panel was hearing a plea filed by advocate Gaurav Bansal which alleged that the construction of the link road would damage the ecosystem and biodiversity of the tiger reserve. The plea alleged that the construction of the road was in violation of previous Supreme Court orders that prohibited the construction of any road through the Corbett Tiger Reserve.
The Supreme Court had stayed the controversial Kotdwar- Ramnagar highway project after it was informed that the proposed road would pass through the Corbett National Park and Tiger Reserve in 2001.
The order came when an interim application by Wildlife Protection Society was mentioned by Solicitor General Harish Salve airing apprehension that such a highway through the tiger reserve would sound the death knell for tigers.
However, the bench clarified that the stay would not come in the way if the road did not pass through the tiger reserve. The stay would operate till the time the court considered the issue in detail; the bench observed and directed the secretary in the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to file an affidavit presenting the ministry’s views on the matter.
The order was passed during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by Navin M Raheja seeking a direction from the apex court for steps for preservation of tigers in the wild and in zoos.

Plea in SC to curb misuse of religion ( Gov)

  • A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court to order the government to take appropriate steps to restrict the misuse of religion for electoral gain.
  • The plea demands to debar the candidates from contesting election and de-register the political parties which do so.

Details: 

The petition contended that religious statements have been made to support particular political parties and candidates, which is against the basic dictum of democracy.
The petition cited the 1990 report of the Goswami Committee on Electoral Reforms, which recommended clothing the Commission with powers to initiate probe, to prosecute or even appoint a Special Court for offences under the Representation of the People Act (RPA).
An Amendment Bill was introduced in 1990 in the Rajya Sabha, particularly, to restrict the misuse of religion in the election. However, the government of the day withdrew this Bill three years later.
Past orders: 
In its 2017 verdict, Supreme Court had banned the use of religion and caste in political activities where such affiliations often determine the fate of campaigns. Most political parties select candidates in various districts based on caste and religious considerations. The Supreme Court ruling warned politicians who disqualify election candidates based on these two factors.
The court ruling said: “Religion has no role in electoral process which is a secular activity. Mixing state with religion is not constitutionally permissible.”

Bengal’s Chau mask acquires GI fame (Culture)

  • The Chau mask of Purulia, the wooden mask of Kushmandi, the Patachitra, the Dokras of Bengal, and Madhurkathi (a kind of mat) have been presented with the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indication Registry and Intellectual Property India.
Details: 
A GI tag connects the quality and authenticity of a given product to a particular geographical origin, thereby ensuring that no one other than the authorized user can use the popular product’s name.
GI tags for these five rural crafts would not only help the artisans create their own brand but would also provide legal protection to artisans practicing the crafts against attempts to duplicate them in other regions.
During 2017-18, the office awarded GI tags to 25 products, of which nine were from West Bengal. GI tags are given on the basis of the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. The first product to be included in the list was Darjeeling Tea.
What is unique about these is that they are made by marginalized communities that, until a few years ago, found it hard to sustain them by producing these crafts.
The GI status for five rural products will have a direct impact on the occupation of 5,000-6,000 families in the State. While 500 families were involved in the making of large and colorful Chau masks used in the Chau dance, also known as Chhau, in Baghmundi block of Purulia, around 200 families in Kushmandi make the wooden masks used for the Mukha dance.
In Paschim Medinipur, a few hundred families in Pingla village make the beautifully painted scrolls called Patachitra, and 3,000 families in two districts were into making Madhurkathi.
About Chhau Dance:
 The Chhau is a blend of folk, tribal and martial arts. ‘Chhau’ – is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Chaaya’, meaning Shadow, image or mask. Also, Chhau is defined by Sitakanta Mahapatra to be derived from Chhauni (Military Camp) in Odia language. It is traditionally performed by Males.
The Chhau has three different types originating from three different regions. Every type has its own unique feature, pattern, and style of performing and ornamentation as well.
The dance has three themes namely Vaishnavism; Shaivism and Shaktism.
In 2010, Chhau was listed in the UNESCO’S Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Government has established Government Chhau Centre in Seraikella in 1960 and Myurbhanj Chhau Nritya Pratishthan at Baripada in 1962. The Sangeet Natak Akademi established a National Centre for Chhau Dance at Baripada, Odisha.

Centre plans connectivity push on China border (IR)

  • Centre is planning installation of optical fiber cables (OFC) in areas bordering China.
  • This is being done to counter Chinese radio channels in Arunachal villages.
Details:
 The OFC push is expected to arm civilians and defense personnel with cellular and radio connectivity strong enough to counter the Chinese waves.
It has come to light that the people in the area access Chinese radio frequency but not All India Radio. This is due to poor communication network in the area.
The center will soon start work on extension of OFC in the remote border areas. The Union Cabinet discussed the issue 10 days ago and sanctioned additional funds. The government was also trying to recruit more women in the armed forces from border areas. Women in the forces who did not get permanent commission had approached the court some time ago.

Bacteria-coated broccoli sent to space (S&T)

  • Scientists have sent broccoli seeds coated with a healthy dose of good bacteria to space.
Details:
 This has been done in a quest to find a viable way for astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS) to grow their own vegetables — and possibly one day on the Moon or Mars.
Six broccoli seeds were aboard the Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft that launched this week from Wallops Island, Virginia, as part of a space station cargo resupply mission. Three of the seeds are travelling to space as it is, while the other three were coated with two different species of bacteria, developed at the University of Washington, that can live inside crop plants and improve their growth. These “beneficial” microbes, also called endophytes, may also help plants grow better in extreme low-gravity environments, and where nutrients or water could be lacking.
The aim of the experiment conducted in California is to learn how to grow vegetables in the challenging, microgravity conditions of the space station — and eventually on the Moon and Mars — as human space exploration expands.
Developed by a team of 11 students, the initial ground experiments proved successful, as the broccoli grew faster and significantly larger than the control study. It would be ideal if we could grow crops for astronauts at the space station or who are lunar-or Mars-based without needing to ship potting mix or fertilizer. The aim is to be able to get plants to grow in what is available with a minimum input.


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