Current affairs Notes for IAS UPSC

February 20 2017

General Studies-01

• Journey of the modern man

• A new museum in Kolkata tells the tale of how modern humans in the Indian subcontinent evolved from ancestors who arrived about 12.3 million years ago from Africa, during the Pleistocene era.

• Set up by the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI), the museum traces the history of human evolution in this part of the world through displays of tools, replicas of artefacts and models.

• The story begins with the arrival of Ramapithecus, the oldest fossil primate found in the Siwalik Hills, about 12.3 million years ago. This first hominid and the gradual evolution later is depicted through a series of replicas of facial and skull variations.

• The original artefacts in the newly opened museum include stone tools from the Pleistocene era, about 70,000-80,000 year sold and microliths (tiny stone tools) dating back 10,000 years. Prehistoric animal remains from Nitenkheri and Hathnora sites in the Narmada Valley include rhino, elephant and buffalo molars

• Photographs and installations of cave paintings from Bhimbetka and Chambal valley of Madhya Pradesh, Singhanpur and Karmagarh in Chhattisgarh, along with the rock art of Jharkhand, also throw light on humans as hunter-gatherers.

• Artefacts, pottery and other articles of everyday use from the Indus Valley Civilisation — around 5,500 years ago — are recreated.

• Why inner core of the earth is solid

• Recently question arises why inner core of the earth is solid despite having more hot than surface of the sun ?

• Energy distribution to outward and pressure from asuronuding keep inner core in crystalline structure made up of nickel and ferrous

• Any body at ultra temperature face pressure and form in crystalline structure

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General Studies-02

• 67 years of judiciary

• 67 years ago our constitution framer made radical choice to give universal franchise of voting to people who can govern themselves without any fear or favor

• Just voting doesn’t make any democracy here we also need the fundamental right that protect citizen from state and limit the power of state that not to follow authoritarian principle

• And fundamental right also got protected means two layer protection was given and that can only be restricted of only reasonability

• Judiciary always work as the guardian of the citizen fundamental rights in neutral and excellent way but recently judiciary also turning its way and transforming its own role in democracy

• First such incident come with joly LLB film cut on the basis of defaming the profession of the lawyer though film was cleared by the censor board so it is clear sign that judiciary also getting review power in executive matter

• In another judgment supreme court give order about playing national anthem without thinking liberal democracy and constitution value of this order

• Behavior of political leader

• Behavior of the dravida munetra kajhgam MLA during confidence vote raise the question about the abnormal low behavior as peoples representative

• This event also degrade the democracy and show the behavior trend that infuse lower level democratic attitude of people toward democracy

• We should take step toward formulating model code of conduct for the legislator also that has been suggested by the 2^nd ARC report

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General Studies-03

• Dividend issue and railway merger

• Colonial era practice of the separate budget has been ended with railway budget merged into general budget

• Now railway ministry will work as other PSU working under finance ministry and if any financial shortfall occur will be fund by the finance ministry

• Finance ministry ask railway to remit dividend of 14 CPSU which railway now getting to be remit

• This will also affect railway revenue part and big deficit that to be fund by the railway ministry

• Now railway can not collect dividend from IRCON and IRCTC etc.

• Capital at charge means capital giving on lease on which interest to be paid. Or capital which given in the form of the grant

• Report on death of children due to litchi in Bihar

• Litchi also called the fruit of the labour or poor found in tropical and sub tropical area

• In india bihar contribute about 65 % of the litchi production

• Recently published medical research report stated that children who eat litchi and avoid dinner most vulnerable to death

• After eating litchi and avoiding dinner means level of glucose abnormally decreases that cause neuron problem and ultimately led to brain dead

• While national research center on litchi argued that it is inclusive and incomplete report that to be reviewed

• This report publication will hit the litchi farmer and processor at large

• Recently children mysterious death with acute encephalitis syndrome [AES] become issue of discussion all over the state

• Fire in Bangalore city lake

• Fire in city lake and near by wetland area damage about 79 % of the lake and garden area

• This fire fueled by the waste dispose in wetland especially electronic waste that created huge fire

• It was also threaten by the chief ecological body expert but pro – development government wasn’t pay any attention and this incident particularly show the priority of the state government to build city as just jungle of the concrete

• Loss of natural wetlands is an ongoing catastrophe in India. A decade ago, when the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History released a conservation atlas for all States using space applications, it reported the tragic fact that 38% of wetlands had already been lost nationally; and shockingly, in some districts only 12% survived. The Centre has since issued rules for conservation and management, and chosen 115 water bodies in 24 States for protection support, but this is obviously too little.

• research studies show that the concentration of heavy metals in such sites is leading to bioaccumulation, thus entering the plants and animals that ultimately form part of people’s food.