Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

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Governor’s rule imposed in J&K

News

• President Ram Nath Kovind has approved imposition of Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmirwith immediate effect, a senior government official said. 

Beyond News

• Governor N Vohra sent a report to Union Home Ministry recommending Central rule in the State after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti submitted her resignation since the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) pulled out of the alliance with People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
• As  Kovind is on a three-nation tour, the proposal was sent to Suriname, his current stop.
• When the Governor sent the proposal, the President was already in transit from Athens to Suriname. As soon as he touched down in Paramaribo, he signed the recommendation giving his assent to Governor’s rule in J&K, said the official.

Many Indians detained in U.S. crackdown on illegal immigrants

News

• Several people from South Asia, including many Indians, are among those detained by U.S. immigration authorities at a federal prison in Oregon for illegally entering the country.

Beyond News

• The Donald Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy on illegal immigration has resulted in sweeping enforcement measures such as separation of children from their families.
• The Indian Embassy in the U.S. is trying to ascertain the reports, and to contact the detained people before planning a course of action, an official told .
• Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) said in a statement that Over the last month, 123 immigrants seeking asylum have been detained and transferred to Oregon’s Sheridan federal prison in Yamhill County. The majority of the 123 people in the Sheridan prison are South Asian, who speak primarily Hindi and Punjabi, and a few [are] identified as Chinese.” Some of the detainees are from Nepal, according to reports.
• Indians were the largest group of detainees being held in Sheridan, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, who visited them, said in an article.
• APANO said it was trying to put together a rapid legal response, led by Innovation Law Lab and the Oregon chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
• APANO is connecting with local South Asian communities and ‘One Oregon Coalition’ to raise further awareness and support for the detainees.

‘Simplify citizenship process for Hindus’

News

• With 108 Pakistani Hindu migrants having obtained Indian citizenship in Jodhpur on Sunday, Rajasthan Chief Minister has requested the Centre to simplify and expedite the process for granting citizenship to the members of the Hindu community displaced from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Beyond News

• Jodhpur Collector distributed the citizenship certificates to 108 former Pakistanis , while disposing of their cases pending for several years. The migrant-turned-Indian citizens turned jubilant and raised slogans such as “Bharat Mata Ki Jai.”
• Most of the Hindu migrants, who had crossed the international border and settled in western Rajasthan following their persecution in Pakistan’s Sindh province, are engaged in small businesses and menial work.
• The education of their children was held up for want of citizenship, as they were unable to get admission in the local schools and colleges.

Bid for better nutrition for children on track: NGO

News

• A concentrated effort to strengthen health and nutrition during early childhood appears to have paid dividends in the Maharashtra State’s four malnutrition-hit districts.

Beyond News

• The Urban Nutrition Initiative (UNI) by NGO Committed Communities Development Trust (CCDT) has reached out to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children up to two years of age to bring changes in children’s nutrition.
• The government has an Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) department and aanganwadisfor providing preschool education and nutrition. Under the UNI, they have attempted to strengthen existing services.
• The CCDT, which heads a consortium of four NGOs implementing the project Amhi Amchya Arogyasathi, Vachan, Foundation for Mother and Child Health and Indian Social Service Unit of Education  has partnered with Tata Trusts and the State government’s Rajmata Jijau Mother and Child Health and Nutrition Mission (RJMCHNM). The UNICEF is providing technical support.
• The project has been implemented in 846 aanganwadisin Mumbai, Thane, Nashik and Nagpur districts has reached out to 32,258 children, 12,383 pregnant mothers and 12,338 lactating mothers since it was started.
• While implementing the project, field workers identified problems like children not being weighed regularly. They also found that the Take Home Ration (THR) provided under the ICDS not well accepted, and intended beneficiaries were reluctant to approach government-run nutrition rehabilitation centres.
• Apart from compulsory weighing of children and explaining the importance of monitoring the child’s growth through weight, project workers held demonstrations on nutrition and provided relevant recipes for THR.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

 ‘Micro compost yards will keep city green’

News

• In an effort to minimise the quantum of waste reaching its landfill sites, the Tambaram Municipality in Tamil Nadu has begun implementing several projects in accordance with the Swachh Bharat Mission and new municipal solid waste rules.

Beyond News

• A meeting was held recently by Commissioner of Municipal Administration, wherein it was decided to segregate waste at the source.
• Accordingly, the municipality has planned to construct 20 sheds for micro-composting at a cost of Rs. 6.6 crore. The first one constructed on Velachery Main Road in Aadhi Nagar, Selaiyur, was inaugurated .
• These micro-composting centres will use the kitchen, garden and food waste from households and produce organic garden manure in 40 days. The manure will be supplied to residents free of cost.
• In seven places, slightly bigger micro-composting centres would be constructed at a cost of Rs. 50 lakh and the works were going on in full swing. In other places, the work would begin in a phased manner.
• Residents have been requested to send bio-degradable waste for six days and on Wednesdays they can send non-biodegradable waste through the conservancy workers.
• The details of the new system are being disseminated to residents through awareness programmes. With cooperation from residents and commercial establishments in the coming months, the recycling of these wastes will bring in more greenery in the municipal limits.

Mars to come closest to Earth in July

News

• Star gazers could have a good view of the Red Planet next month as Mars is set to come to the closest point to Earth since 2003 when it reaches opposition with the Sun in late July.

Beyond News

• This year, Mars opposition will occur on July 27, according to NASA.
• During opposition, Mars is especially photogenic because it can be seen fully illuminated by the Sun as viewed from Earth.
• Since Mars and the Sun appear on opposite sides of the sky, we say that Mars is in ‘opposition’, NASA explained.
• Every 15 or 17 years, opposition occurs within a few weeks of Mars’ perihelion – the point in its orbit when it is closest to the Sun.
• An opposition can occur anywhere along Mars’ orbit. When it happens while the Red Planet is closest to the Sun (called ‘perihelic opposition’), Mars is particularly close to Earth, NASA said.
• But some perihelic oppositions bring Earth and Mars closer together than others, the US space agency said.
• The 2003 opposition was the closest approach in almost 60,000 years, it added.

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