Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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Ancient temple found in Egypt.

News

• Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a temple in Egypt’s western desert dating back to the Greco-Roman period, the Antiquities Ministry has said.

Beyond News

• It said the uncovered part includes stone walls and the temple’s main entrance, which leads to a courtyard and entrances to other chambers.
• It says excavation is still under way at the site, near the Siwa oasis and at the country’s border with Libya.
• Head archaeologist says statues depicting a man and lions, as well as pottery fragments and coins, were also found at the site. The remains date to between the 2nd century B.C. and the 3rd century A.D.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

27% tribal population do not have access to safe source of drinking water: Govt

News

• The government informed Parliament that according to 2011 census, close to 27% tribal population do not have access to safe source of drinking water and 75% tribal households do not have toilets.

Beyond News

• As per 2011 census, overall 75% Scheduled Tribes (STs) households in the country were defecating in the open. Further 26.66% of total tribal population in the country did not have access to safe source of drinking water.
• The government said under the Swachh Bharat Mission, efforts were being made to provide access to toilet facilities to all rural households in the country.
• The Mission was launched on October 2, 2014 to accelerate efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage.
• The annual budget allocation is earmarked for STs and the focus was on community-based collective behaviour change by massive campaigning at national and state levels.

Nepal Prime Minister Oli arrives on three-day visit

News

• Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli arrived in New Delhi on a three-day visit during which he will hold talks with the Indian leadership to boost ties between the two countries.

Beyond News

• Oli was received at the airport by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
• He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the evening and will hold delegation-level talks .
• The visiting leader will be accorded a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan .
• On the third day of his visit, the Nepalese premier will visit the G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, Uttarakhand.
• He will visit the Breeder Seed Production Centre and an integrated farming project there.
• Oli will also be conferred with a Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science at the university.
• In February, Mr. Oli took charge as Nepal’s prime minister for the second time.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

RBI asks banks to stop services to those dealing in virtual currencies

News

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directed all regulated entities including banks, not to provide services to businesses dealing in virtual currencies like bitcoin, so as to protect consumer interest and check money laundering.

Beyond News

• Technological innovations, including virtual currencies, have the potential to improve the efficiency and inclusiveness of the financial system, RBI said after its first bi-monthly monetary policy review of 2018-19.
• However, virtual currencies (VCs), also variously referred to as cryptocurrencies and crypto assets, raise concerns of consumer protection, market integrity and money laundering, among others.
• RBI said it has repeatedly cautioned users, holders and traders of VCs, including bitcoin, regarding various risks associated in dealing with such virtual currencies.
• The central bankfurther asked entities, which are already into such services to stop providing these kind of services within a specified time.
• RBI said it will also issue a circular separately on this matter.

Over 100 tiny plastic fibres present in every meal: study

News

• People could be swallowing over 100 tiny plastic particles with every meal, according to a study which found that polymers from soft furnishings and synthetic fabrics get into household dust and settle on plates.

Findings

• made the discovery after putting petri dishes containing sticky dust traps on the table next to dinner plates in three homes.
• Up to 14 bits of plastic were found in the petri dishes at the end of a 20-minute meal the equivalent of 114 plastic fibres falling on the average dinner plate given their much larger size.
• The scientists concluded that the average person swallows up to 68,415 potentially dangerous plastic fibres a year simply through sitting down to eat.
• The researchers set out to compare plastic fibres found in mussels with the amount in the average household meal.
• They found fewer than two microplastics in each mussel and concluded that the average person can expect to consume 100 plastic particles a year through eating the shellfish. However, people will ingest anything from 13,731 to 68,415 plastic fibres in a year during meals because of household dust.
• The plastic fibres found in the home-cooked meals did not come from the food or the cooking environment, but from household dust-researchers said.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-04

Maharashtra tops corporate fraud chart

News

• Corporate fraud in Maharashtra has jumped five times with the State accounting for over 50% of the total cases registered against companies across the country in the financial year 2017-18.

Beyond News

• According to the figures released by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), the investigating agency working under the Ministry of Corporate Affair (MCA), 109 cases of fraud were registered until March, 2018.
• This accounts for over half 209 cases  registered in all states under the Companies Act, 2013. The State reported 23 cases in 2016-17. The data was released by the MCA on March 28.
• SFIO officials said the spike is because of two special drives undertaken over the last year against shell companies and benami properties.
• An official in the department said that,the central agencies have been targeting benami properties in Mumbai after the Central Board of Direct Taxes, last year, made changes to the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988, to probe property deals worth ₹1 crore and more. The cases have been registered at the directive of the MCA under the Companies Act.
• The MCA, last year, had announced cancellation and crackdown on nearly 1.6 lakh companies for non-filing of financial statements.
• The Maharashtra figure is worrying considering a recent Kroll Annual Global Fraud and Risk Report 2017-18, which revealed that fraud cases involving companies went up by 21% in India.
• The State is way ahead of the second highest Delhi, which reported 34 cases, followed by West Bengal and Uttrakhand. The SFIO recorded 575 cases over the last three years in all states.
• The MCA recognises fraud as a substantive offence under the Companies Act, while prescribing stricter norms for corporate governance.
• Among the measures, information communication technology, data analysis, and forensic studies have curbed fraud in companies.

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