Extinction Rebellion - Aspire IAS

Extinction Rebellion
                                    GS-II | International Relations

      Extinction Rebellion (XR) was launched in the United Kingdom in 2018, as a
      response to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
      report that declared,
          1. We only have 12 years to stop catastrophic climate change and
          2. We have entered the 6th mass extinction event.
      It is a global movement to persuade the governments to act justly on the
      Climate and Ecological Emergency.
      It is a decentralised and politically non-partisan movement that uses,
          1. Non-violent Direct Action and
          2. Civil Disobedience.

Source: The Indian Express

                             Juvenile Justice Bill, 2021
                                        GS-II | Important Bills

      The Union Cabinet approved amendments to the Juvenile Justice (Care and
      Protection of Children) Act 2015.
      As per the amendment, the district magistrates (DM) and additional district
      magistrates (ADM) will monitor the functioning of various agencies
      responsible for implementation of the JJ Act in every district.
      The DM can independently evaluate juvenile police unit, specialised Child
      Welfare Committees (CWC) and registered Child Care Institution (CCI).
      The district child protection unit will function under district magistrate.

Before becoming a member of the CWC, background and educational
      qualification checks will be done.
      Before registration of a CCI, DM will conduct its capacity and background
      check, and submit recommendations to state government.
      The definition of “child in need of care” and protection of the JJ Act has
      been expanded to include,
        1. Child victims of trafficking and drug abuse and
        2. Children abandoned by their guardian.
      At present, the Act has three categories of petty, serious and heinous
      crimes.
There is a proposal to appoint a nodal office in each embassy to monitor the
child adopted abroad.

Source: The Indian Express

                      Afghani Chadar to Ajmer Dargah
                               GS-II | International Relations

Afghani Chadar to Ajmer Dargah

      Afghanistan President has sent the first ever sacred 'Chadar' to the Ajmer
      Sharif Dargah through its diplomatic mission in New Delhi.
      This Chadar was given during the 809th 'Urs (Death Anniversary) Mubarak'
      of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz, which is ongoing in Ajmer.
Ajmer Sharif Dargah

      Ajmer Sharif Dargah is a Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, who is
      well-known for his secular preachings.
      Located in Rajasthan, it was built by Mughal Emperor Humayun.
      This shrine has Chishti’s grave (Maqbara) inside a white marble dome, 11

arches and Persian inscriptions.
      There are several mosques inside the dargah complex, built
      by Akbar and Shah Jahan, who made it a point to visit Ajmer at least once a
      year.

Source: The Indian Express

Delimitation Commission to Hold Delimitation Exercise in
                         J&K
                                   GS-II | Indian Polity

      Delimitation Commission holds meeting to seek views on delimitation process
      of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Delimitation Act, 2002

      This Act was enacted to set up a Delimitation Commission for the purpose of
      effecting delimitation on the basis of the 2001 census.
      The Delimitation Commission would re-fix the number of seats for the
      Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes based on the 2001 census,
      without affecting total number of seats based on the 1971 census.
      The Act sought to lay down certain guidelines as to the manner in which such
      delimitation would be undertaken.
      The new Delimitation Commission was given the task of carrying out
      delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies.
      This delimitation would apply to every general election and to every bye-
      election to the House of the People or a State Legislative Assembly held
      after the final orders of the Commission are published.

Source: HT

                          Majuli-Jorhat Bridge
                                 GS-III | Economic Issues

      A 6.8 km-long two-lane major bridge is being constructed over the
      Brahmaputra between Majuli (north bank) and Jorhat (south bank) on
      NH-715K.
      This bridge will provide all time access to the people living in Majuli town
      with rest of Assam to meet their health, education and day to day
      development activities.
      The constructions of this bridge also provide a safe evacuation access to
      the people of Majuli Island during flood in Brahmaputra River.

Majuli island is famous for Mishing tribe who practice Sattariya folk dance.

Source: ANI

    Inflation- Its impact on the macro economic stability
                                 GS-III | Economic Issues

Inflation- Its impact on the macro economic stability
Introduction

Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 4.06% in January, marking a
    deceleration for a second straight month to a 16-month low.
Reasons in decline of retail inflation

    Bumper kharif crop: The Consumer Food Price Index reflected a gain of a
    mere 1.89% last month as vegetable prices saw a disinflation of 15.8%
    and cereal prices eased considerably for a second month in the wake of
    kharif crop arrivals.
    Good rabi harvest: Rising prospects of a good rabi harvest
    Vegetable production: Larger winter arrivals of key vegetables
    Avian flu fears: Softer egg and poultry demand on avian flu fears.
Associated risks with low inflation
    While inflation in pulses and products was at 13.4%, that for oils and fats
    stood at 19.7%. Eggs and meat and fish — two other key sources of protein —
    both posted double-digit rates of 12.9% and 12.5%, respectively, with price
    gains in the former barely registering any telling impact from the avian flu
    outbreak.
    From automobile manufacturers to builders, rising raw material costs are
    beginning to force them to pass on the impact to the end consumers.
    The latest IHS Markit India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index
    (PMI) points to the sharpest increase in purchasing costs for more than
    two years as ‘a lingering supply-side squeeze’ fanned inflationary
    pressures and manufacturers raised their product prices at the fastest pace in
    over a year.
    Add to the mix the unrelenting and dizzying climb in transportation fuel
    prices to newer and newer record highs in recent days and the outlook for
    inflation becomes distinctly darker.
          Diesel, the main fuel for freight carriage, has now exceeded ?80 per litre
          and is bound to feed into prices of almost everything being transported
          across distances — from fresh produce to intermediate and finished
          industrial goods.
Conclusion
    With banks still flush with liquidity, policymakers need to maintain a strict vigil
    to keep inflation from resurging and posing a threat to macro-economic
    stability.
Read more about Inflation- Click here

Source: TH

    Removal of Puducherry’s Lieutenant Governor
                                    GS-II | Governance

Removal of Puducherry’s Lieutenant Governor
Context
      Kiran Bedi’s ouster is a result of her failure to stick to her constitutionally
      mandated role
      The removal of Kiran Bedi as Puducherry’s Lieutenant Governor has
      provided a sense of relief to the elected government, led by the Congress, in
      the Union Territory.
LG’s disruption of smooth administration
      Her acrimonious relationship with Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy over the
      last four and a half years, eventually led the Centre to being forced to act
      against its own nominee to enable smooth administration at a time when
      the announcement of the Assembly elections is just round the corner.
      Despite her laying emphasis on sanitation, rejuvenation of waterbodies, and
      transparency and accountability in the administration, Ms. Bedi ended up, in
      the eyes of the public, being someone who was disrupting administration.
      Be it the suspension of an official over obscenity on social media, the helmet
      rule for two-wheeler riders, the free rice scheme, the appointment of the State
      Election Commissioner, the quota for government students in medical
      admission, or even the manner of release of money from the CM’s Fund,
      she was caught up in a war of words with the CM instead of being more
      discreet.

Way ahead
      She should have shown more restraint as a constitutional functionary and
      adopted a consensual approach on matters affecting the people directly,
      even though the Lt. Governor in a Union Territory, as the President’s
      nominee, enjoys powers superior to those of the CM and the Council of
      Ministers.
      On assuming charge as the officiating Lt. Governor on Thursday,
      Tamilisai Soundararajan, the Telangana Governor, ordered a floor test to
      be held on February 22.
      Ms. Bedi’s innings in Puducherry should serve as a lesson to those in
      constitutional positions that however well meaning one’s actions may be,
      one should not go beyond the mandated role.
Read more about Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Issues – Click here

Source: TH

                            Circular Economy
                              GS-III | Biodiversity & Environment

      It is an economic system aimed at eliminating waste; and the continual use
      of resources.
      It is a system of resources utilization where reduction, reuse and recycling
      of elements prevail.
      Circular systems create a closed system, minimizing the use of resource
      img and the creation of waste, pollution and emissions.
      It is an alternative to a traditional linear economy.
      This linear economy is modeled on take-make-waste industrial model
      (make, use, dispose).
      Sustainable Development Goal 12 ? responsible consumption and

production? requires changing the linear production model and shifting
      towards circular economy.

Source: TH

                  Mahabahu-Brahmaputra project
                                  GS-III | Economic Issues

      The Central Government has laid the foundation of Mahabahu-Brahmaputra
      project to initiate developmental activities near the Brahmaputra and the
      surrounding areas of the Barak River and to provide seamless connectivity
      to the region.
      Under this project, the foundation stone of a four-lane bridge over the
      Brahmaputra River between Dhubri (North Coast) and Phulbari (South
      Coast) will be laid. The proposed bridge will be located on NH-127B, which
      originates from Shrirampur and terminates at Nongstoin on NH-106 in
      Meghalaya.
      It will connect Dhubri in Assam to Phulbari, Tura, Rongram and Rongjeng in
      Meghalaya.
      Along with this, the foundation stone of a two-lane bridge on the Brahmaputra
      River between Majuli (North Coast) and Jorhat (Southern Coast) will also be
      laid. The bridge will connect Nemtighat (towards Jorhat) and
      Kamalabari (towards Majuli).
      The ' Portal for Asset and Navigation Information- PANI' will act as a
      single-stop solution to provide information related to the navigation of rivers
      and their nature.

Source: TH

               NASA's Perseverence Rover to Mars
                                         GS-III | S&T

After a seven months’ journey from Earth, the NASA Perseverance is in its final
stretch towards destination Mars.

About the Perseverance rover:

      Launched on July of 2020.
      It is expected to touch down on Mars at the Jezero Crater.
      The primary task of Perseverance is to seek signs of ancient life and
      collect samples of rock and reglolith to possibly return these to Earth.
      Perseverance is fueled by electrical power by using heat of plutonium’s
      radioactive decay.
      NASA Perseverance gets shape memory alloys to remain steady on
      surface of Mars.
Why is this mission significant?

      Perseverance will carry a unique instrument, MOXIE or Mars Oxygen ISRU
      Experiment which will manufacture molecular oxygen on Mars using
      carbon dioxide from the carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere (ISRU means In
      Situ Resource Utilization: or the use of local resources to meet human
      needs or requirements of the spacecraft).
      It will carry Ingenuity, the first ever helicopter to fly on Mars. This is the first
      time NASA will fly a helicopter on another planet or satellite.
Previous Mars Missions by NASA:

      NASA has been sending rovers on Mars since 1997 when the Mars
      Pathfinder Mission was initiated.
      Second time, the space organization sent twin rovers, Spirit and
      Opportunity to Mars in 2003.
      The third attempt was by sending Curiosity in 2012.

Source: TH

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