Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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• Scientists puzzled by ‘peculiar’ tsunami

  

  News

  • While early warning systems around the world were quick to pick up the earthquake in the Pacific, the tsunami that subsequently ravaged the Indonesian city of Palu, claiming more than 800 lives, seems to have struck in stealth, baffling the scientific community.

  Beyond News

  • Scientists at the Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), which runs the state-of-the-art Indian Tsunami Early Warning System (ITEWS), detected the earthquake on the Pacific Ocean bed at 3.30 p.m. (IST) on September 28, and immediately issued an alert to the Indian Oceanic community, including Indonesia, and international networks.
  • Information gathered by INCOIS showed that within five minutes of the 7.5 magnitude earthquake being detected on the Pacific Ocean floor, a warning was issued by the Indonesian Tsunami Warning network too. But after three more warnings, the alert was withdrawn as nothing was visible on the ocean gauges or buoys.

  The INCOIS director said there were two possible explanations.

  • There could have been a mudslide on the ocean floor, which would have a cataclysmic effect on the bay.
  • Alternatively, the earthquake could have triggered a mini-tsunami, which got amplified because of the geographic geometry of the area,” .

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

In a first, UPSC allows candidates to withdraw from exams

##Just for awareness.

• Claiming that only half of the over 10 lakh aspirants who apply for civil services exam actually write the test, the UPSC said it has, for the first time, decided to allow candidates to withdraw from the examination if they wish to, according to an official statement.

Andhra Pradesh to dole out unemployment benefit

News

• The stage is set for the ‘Mukhyamantri Yuvenestham’ aimed at extending financial support and career guidance to unemployed graduates.

Beyond News

• The scheme will be formally launched by Chief Minister and eligibility certificates will be given away to registered candidates at the programmes to be held in every constituency on Tuesday.
• IT Minister said as 1.86 lakh applications had been verified and ₹1 transferred to each account as test transaction towards the dole of ₹1,000 per candidate. More than six lakh persons registered for the scheme and 2.07 lakh applications were verified, he said.
• Scheme received an overwhelming response and new registrations would be accepted before 25th of every month.
• All the applications will be verified during the month end and disbursement will be on the first day of the next month.
• Lokesh said following requests from the applicants, the ineligibility for candidates having wetland of 2.5 acres or more and dry land of 5 acres or more had been relaxed. Every candidate having a white ration card will be eligible.
• There were more than 10 lakh eligible candidates as per the Pulse Survey and more applications were expected as this was only the beginning of the scheme.
• As per the registrations, only 34.7% of applicants were eligible.

Centre has issued advisories to all states on identification of Rohingya: Rajnath

News

• Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that Centre has issued an advisory to all states to identify and collect bio-metric details of Rohingya refugees residing in their territory.
• Then after that the states will send a report to Centre government and Centre will take it up through diplomatic channels with Myanmar government.

Beyond News

• The Home Minister was in the city to chair the meeting of 23 rd the Eastern Zonal Council.
• The Home Minister described the meeting as a”success” and said that out of 30 items discussed 26 were resolved.
• To a question on the withdrawal of central forces from certain strife-torn areas of some States, Home Minister admitted that States require forces but added that Centre has also some compulsions on deploying forces during elections. He assured that States would get necessary forces when required in future.

Leaders will have to pay for damage by cadre: SC

News

• Leaders of outfits who instigate a mob to an act of vandalism, which results in death or loss of public and private property, will personally face criminal action and are liable to compensate the victims of the violence, the Supreme Court

Beyond News

• A Bench pinned the criminal liability squarely on leaders of outfits who “initiate, promote and instigate” mobs to destroy public and private property in the name of demonstrations, especially against cultural programmes, films and expressions of artistic freedom.”
• The taxpayer is not responsible to cough up money to pay for the destruction caused by mobs, the Bench held.
• Each and every person, who was part of the violence, would be booked under Sections 153A (promoting enmity), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings), 298 (intent to wound religious feelings) and, lastly, 495 (mischief) of the Indian Penal Code. The offences would come alive if the call for violence was made through a spokesperson or through social media of a group or by any individual.
• The Supreme Court ordered persons caught red-handed by the police to be arrested on the spot.
• If any leader fails to appear in the police station concerned, he shall be proceeded against as a suspect and be even declared an “absconding offender”.
• State governments should set up Rapid Response Teams, preferably district-wise, to respond to mob violence, install websites which report instances of mob violence and destruction of public and private properties, special helplines, employ non-lethal crowd-control devices, like water cannons to deter the mob.

2.5 cr electors figure in draft poll roll

News

• As many as 2,50,65,496 electors figure in the draft voters’ list released by the Election Department in Kerala .
• The special summary revision which provides an opportunity for fresh entrants and also those who had missed a chance to get enrolled is expected to elicit a positive response from various sections of voters.

Beyond News

• The list comprises 1,21,10,468 male, 1,29,55,007 female and 21 transgender voters. The number of Non-Resident Indian voters is 23,410 comprising 21,749 male and 1661 female voters.
• Election Department sources said the enrolment process is open round the year, but the special summary revision lays thrust on young voters who would complete 18 years of age as on January 1, 2019. The revision process is understood to have evoked a very warm response from the young voters, thanks to the political awareness and high literacy level in the State. The rate of enrolment as well as the involvement in the polling process is quite encouraging, sources said.
• Due thrust is also laid on bringing the differently abled, marginalised sections and also the transgenders into the electoral fold through systematic voter education and awareness drives.
• The current revision assumes significance as it precedes the Lok Sabha elections due in May next year.
• Moreover, a Bill that provides an opportunity for overseas electors to cast proxy vote in the general elections has been cleared by the Lok Sabha and is awaiting the nod of the Rajya Sabha too.
• The fate of the Bill, though not expected to have direct impact on the enrolment process, its passage in the House of Elders is expected to serve as a catalyst to the exercise, sources said.
• The department has worked out various outreach programmes to access different strata of society during the course of the revision process so that it could ensure maximum public participation in the revision process, sources said.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

RBI to infuse ₹36,000 cr. to ease liquidity

News

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to infuse ₹36,000 through open market purchase of bonds in October as liquidity has tightened due to an uptick in loan demand in the festive season.

Beyond News

• Based on an assessment of the durable liquidity needs going forward and the seasonal growth in currency in circulation observed in build-up to the festive season, RBI has decided to conduct purchase of Government securities under Open Market Operations (OMOs) for an aggregate amount of ₹360 billion in the month of October 2018, RBI said adding that the auctions would be conducted during the second, third and fourth week of October.
• Last week, RBI had reassured the financial markets that it stands ready to meet the liquidity requirements of the system.
• Market participants said more liquidity infusion is required to address the cash deficit.
• The yield on 10-year benchmark government bonds fell three basis points to end the day at 7.99%.
• Kotak Securities has maintained its call that benchmark 10-year yield will be in a broad range of 7.75-8.25% for the second half of the current financial year.

Activists oppose street lights at lakes

Beyond News

• The bright lights illuminating walkways around lakes may be keeping out the original denizens of the lake ecosystem: birds, bats, and other insects.
• Currently, most of the lake rejuvenation projects come with a package of walking paths, open-air gyms, and other facilities that turn the area into a public space. But night lighting within the lake premises adversely affects the fauna, say researchers and activists in Bengaluru.

Beyond News

• Most lakes have LED lights that are kept on till late in the night. Though there has been no scientific study, anecdotally it seems like birds nesting in these lakes have definitely decreased. The bat population at these lakes has also come down.
• Several lakes, including two lakes in Vidyaranyapura, Jakkur lake, Allalasandra lake and Agara lake, have night lighting. Many detailed project reports for lake rejuvenation by the BBMP and BDA, which are in the pipeline, have proposals for walkways and street lights.
• Lights were never part of the lake ecosystem and he was at a loss as to why they are being introduced now.
• Night lighting will adversely impact habitation. Birds will not choose such areas for nesting and breeding.
• Lighting up such ecosystems will also adversely affect the patterns of nocturnal creatures like bats, owls and several insects.
• Care must be taken to even avoid building walkways through wetlands, which are usually the habitats of a variety of fauna. In many lakes, walkways have cut through wetlands disturbing this habitat.
• Senior civil officials say that after rejuvenation, lakes are seen as open public spaces, and there was pressure from communities for amenities, including night lighting. People want to walk along the lake not just in the mornings, but late evenings too. Street lights come into the picture for safety after dark.

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