Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

Editorials are covered separately. HINDU NOTES are available free date wise| CLICK HERE

Global warming may have ‘devastating’ effects on rice.

 

News

• As carbon dioxide rises due to the burning of fossil fuels, rice will lose some of its protein and vitamin content, putting millions of people at risk of malnutrition, scientists warned.

Beyond News

• The change could be particularly dire in southeast Asia where rice is a major part of the daily diet.
• They are showing that global warming, climate change and particularly greenhouse gases carbon dioxide  can have an impact on the nutrient content of plants we eat.
• This can have devastating effects on the rice-consuming countries where about 70% of the calories and most of the nutrients come from rice.
• Protein and vitamin deficiencies can lead to growth-stunting, birth defects, diarrhoea, infections and early death.
• Countries at most risk include those that consume the most rice and have the lowest gross domestic product (GDP), such as Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
• The findings were based on field studies in Japan and China, simulating the amount of CO2 expected in the atmosphere by the second half of this century 568 to 590 parts per million. Current levels are just over 400 ppm.
• For the experiments, 18 different strains of rice were planted in open fields, surrounded in certain areas by 56-foot wide octagons of plastic piping that released extra CO2.
• Researchers found that iron, zinc, protein, and vitamins B1, B2, B5, and B9 which help the body convert food to energy  were all reduced in the rice grown under higher CO2 conditions.
• Vitamin B1 (thiamine) levels decreased by 17.1%; average Vitamin B2 by 16.6%.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

Govt. divides Telangana into 7 zones, 2 multi-zones

News

• The State government formed the new zonal system which would have seven zones and two multi-zones to facilitate recruitment and transfer of employees.

Beyond News

• The new zonal system is aimed at avoiding injustices done to employees in the combined Andhra Pradesh.
• It will also ensure adequate benefits to those living in local areas following reorganisation of districts.
• Revising the zonal system had become necessary following the formation of Telangana State and the subsequent reorganisation of districts increasing their number to 31 from the initial 10.
• Chief Minister said he would personally monitor the entire process and would see to it that the new zonal and multi-zonal system comes into effect at the earliest.
• Telangana Employees’ Union president welcomed the decision and felt the proposed system would “prevent recurrence of injustices” done to employees in the past.

India, Netherlands condemn terrorism

News

• India and the Netherlands condemned international terrorism and deplored violence by Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e- Mohammed.

Beyond News

• The common position on terrorism apart, both sides also signed 51 agreements covering government and private sectors.
• The leaders agreed that terrorist and extremist organisations need to be denied space to radicalise, recruit, and conduct attacks on innocent people.
• They deplored the violence caused by the al-Qaeda, Daesh/IS, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and their affiliates as well as terrorist groups threatening peace and security in South Asia and Europe.
• Both sides called upon the international community to destroy safe havens and halt cross-border terrorism and prevent movement of foreign fighters.
• Both sides signed 51 agreements covering subjects like water, sanitation, scientific research and cybersecurity.
• Prime Minister of Netherlands also launched the ‘Clean Air India Initiative’ in the national capital .
• The campaign aims to curb air pollutionin Indian cities by promoting partnerships between Indian start-ups and Dutch companies and build a network of entrepreneurs working on business solutions for cleaner air.
• The Clean Air India Initiative is a collaborative project between Get In The Ring, a platform for start-ups, the government of the Netherlands, Start-up India, and INDUS Forum, an online matchmaking platform of Indian and Dutch businesses.

Assam district clamps Section 144 for trucks

News

• The Goalpara district in western Assam is used to the imposition of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure because of ethnic and communal flare-ups.

Beyond News

• Officials have now used the Section, primarily used to prohibit people from assembling in public places, to stop trucks from parking along a national highway bypassing district headquarters Goalpara, about 160 km west of Guwahati.
• Apart from preventing unlawful assembly, Section 144 can be imposed to meet any emergency requirements.
• In this case, the order has been promulgated to prevent trucks from parking along the highway and causing inconvenience to the local people.
• The order, issued was based on complaints from people residing along two stretches of the highway.
• District officials said imposing Section 144 specifically for trucks is not common, though the authorities in adjoining Meghalaya had once used the Section to stop overloading of trucks.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

Indonesia passes new terror law after attacks using children.

News

• Indonesia’s parliament unanimously approved a strengthened anti-terrorism law, expanding the definition of terror and lengthening detention periods, spurred into action by bombings less than two weeks ago that involved children as perpetrators.

Beyond News

• Rights groups have criticised the revisions passed as overly broad and vague and warned against rushing them into law.
• A divisive provision in the law provides scope for the military to become involved in counter-terrorism policing, until now the domain of civilian authorities.
• Police have killed 14 suspected militants and arrested 60 since the suicide bombings in Indonesia’s second-largest city, Surabaya, that were carried out by radicalized families, who involved their children, as young as 7, in the attacks.

Loss of habitat forcing deer on to roads: activists

News

• The shrinking forest space in and around the Guindy National Park, IIT-Madras, and Anna University, and the dumping of garbage in the area, are major causes of worry for free-ranging deer, according to animal welfare activists.

Beyond News

• Nine deer rescued from Taramani and neighbouring areas by the Forest Department last month died at the Guindy National Park (GNP) over a period of two weeks.
• Officials said most of them died due to shock following the rescue efforts.
• Activists said that the Forest department alone could not be faulted, and the fact that almost 30 deer out of 39 rescued have survived is a good sign.
• An animal welfare activist, said the shrinking forest cover in the area is a major concern for wildlife.
• Catching and moving the deer is not the ideal solution. There is a large number of construction activity, inside and outside IIT.
• According to animal welfare activists,there is a need to ensure the forest space remains untouched as it affects the habitat of the animals.
• The loss of habitat is a big problem for animals. The government should step in and ensure that there is no more cutting of trees,said animal welfare activists.

CLICK HERE TO SEE DATE WISE CURRENT AFFAIRS.