1. ENDOSULFAN
The Supreme Court has slammed the Kerala government for doing “virtually nothing” for endosulfan pesticide exposure victims. This amounted to a breach of the top court’s 2017 judgment, which had ordered it to pay ₹5 lakh each to the victims in three months.
About:
- What is it? Endosulfan is an organochlorine pesticide that is being phased out globally.
- Health and environment impact: Endosulfan became a highly controversial agrichemical due to its acute toxicity, potential for bioaccumulation, and role as an endocrine disruptor.
- Global scenario: Because of its threats to human health and the environment, a global ban on the manufacture and use of endosulfan was negotiated under the “Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants” in 2011. The ban has taken effect in 2012.
- Indian scenario: Supreme Court passed an interim order in 2011 in the backdrop of the incidents reported in Kasargode, Kerala, and banned the production, distribution and use of endosulfan in India.
Source : The Hindu
2. INDIA-FRANCE RELATIONS
The Navies of India and France concluded their second joint patrolling in the southwestern Indian Ocean last week, while an Australian P-8 maritime patrol aircraft is expected in India next month on a reciprocal visit, underscoring India’s continued focus on expanding maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
About:
- During the five days from May 9 to 13, an Indian Navy P-8I aircraft was deployed from the French island of La Reunion to carry out “joint surveillance and patrolling operations” with the French Navy in the southwestern Indian Ocean.
- It is the second time that France and India have carried out “joint patrolling” out of La Reunion.
Réunion
- Réunion (French: La Réunion) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France.
- It is located approximately 950km east of the island of Madagascar and 175 km southwest of the island of Mauritius.
3. TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA (TRAI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a programme marking silver jubilee celebrations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 17 May, 2022.
About:
- TRAI was established in 1997 through the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997.
- It is the regulator of the telecommunications sector in India.
- The TRAI Act was amended by an ordinance, effective from 24 January 2000, establishing a Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI.
5G Test Bed
- During the programme, Prime Minister will also launch a 5G Test Bed, developed as a multi institute collaborative project by a total of eight institutes led by IIT Madras.
- The Test Bed will enable a supportive ecosystem for Indian industry and startups which will help them validate their products, prototypes, solutions and algorithms in 5G and next generation technologies.
4. KANHERI CAVES
Union Minister of Tourism, Culture and DoNER inaugurates amenities at ancient Kanheri Caves on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.
About:
- The Kanheri Caves are a group of caves and rock-cut monuments cut into a massive basalt outcrop in the forests of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, on the former island of Salsette in the western outskirts of Mumbai.
- The Kanheri caves comprise more than 110 different rock-cut monolithic excavations and is one of the largest single excavations in the country.
- These excavations were primarily undertaken during the Hinayana phase of Buddhism but also has several examples of the Mahayana stylistic architecture as well as few printings of the Vajrayana order.
- The name Kanheri is derived from ‘Kanhagiri’ in Prakrit and occurs in the Nasik inscription of the Satavahana ruler Vasisthiputra Pulumavi.
- They contain Buddhist sculptures and relief carvings, paintings and inscriptions, dating from the 1st century CE to the 10th century CE.
- Kanheri was mentioned in the travelogues of foreign travellers. The earliest reference of Kanheri is ascribed to Fa-Hein who visited India during 399-411 CE.
5. PROJECT 15B DESTROYER; PROJECT 17A FRIGATE
On 17 May 2022, two indigenous warships of Indian Navy, Surat, a Project 15B Destroyer and Udaygiri, a Project 17A Frigate will be launched concurrently at Mazgaon Docks Limited, Mumbai.
Surat
- The Project 15B class of ships are the next generation stealth guided missile destroyers of the Indian Navy being built at the Mazgaon Docks Ltd, Mumbai.
- ‘Surat’ is the fourth ship of Project 15B Destroyers which heralds a significant makeover of the P15A (Kolkata Class) Destroyers and is named after the commercial capital of the state of Gujarat and also the second largest commercial hub of western India after Mumbai.
Udaygiri
- ‘Udaygiri’, named after a mountain range in the state of Andhra Pradesh, is the third ship of Project 17A Frigates.
- These are follow on of the P17 Frigates (Shivalik Class) with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.
- Under the P17A program, a total of seven ships, with 04 at MDL and 03 at GRSE are under construction.
- Both 15B and P17A ships have been designed in-house by the Directorate of Naval Design (DND).
Source : PIB
6. THE PLACES OF WORSHIP (SPECIAL PROVISIONS) ACT, 1991
The Supreme Court will hear a challenge to the order of a civil court in Varanasi directing a videographic survey of the Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal in the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex.
About:
- Section 3 of the Act bars the conversion, in full or part, of a place of worship of any religious denomination into a place of worship of a different religious denomination — or even a different segment of the same religious denomination.
- Section 4(1) declares that the religious character of a place of worship “shall continue to be the same as it existed” on August 15, 1947.
- Section 4(2) says any legal proceeding with respect to the conversion of the religious character of any place of worship existing on August 15, 1947, pending before any court, shall abate — and no fresh suit or legal proceedings shall be instituted.
- The proviso to this subsection saves suits, appeals and legal proceedings that are pending on the date of commencement of the Act, if they pertain to the conversion of the religious character of a place of worship after the cut-off date.
- Section 5 stipulates that the Act shall not apply to the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, and to any suit, appeal or proceeding relating to it.
Source : Indian Express
7. FIRST INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION REVIEW FORUM
Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan will lead the Indian delegation for the First International Migration Review Forum being held under the auspices of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York from 17th to 20th of May.
About:
- It will serve as the primary inter-governmental global platform to review the progress made at the local, national, regional and global levels in implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).
- It will consist of four interactive multi-stakeholder round tables, a policy dialogue and a plenary.
- In the General Assembly resolution A/RES/73/195, Member States agreed to review the progress made at the local, national, regional and global levels in implementing the GCM in the framework of the United Nations.
8. INDIA – JAMAICA RELATIONS
President Ram Nath Kovind is on a state visit to two Caribbean nations of Jamaica and St. Vincent & Grenadines.
About:
- The President, who is on a historic visit to Jamaica will inaugurate a street named after Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and a garden dedicated to India-Jamaica friendship.
- It is the first-ever visit by an Indian President to Jamaica.
- India and Jamaica have enjoyed cordial relations based on common linkages of history, a Parliamentary democratic system, membership in the Commonwealth, use of the English language and the love for cricket.
- There have been regular bilateral tournaments between India and the West Indies cricket team.
- The Indian Diaspora, of about 70,000 whose forefathers came from India (mainly from Eastern UP and Bihar) as indentured labour from 1845-1917, make up around 3% of the Jamaican population.
- Jamaica: Jamaica is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. It is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Kingston is the country's capital and largest city.
9. RAMGARH VISHDHARI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
The Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary in Rajasthan was notified as India's 52nd tiger reserve, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said.
About:
- This is Rajasthan's fourth tiger reserve after Ranthambore, Sariska and Mukundra.
- Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining areas as tiger reserves on July 5 last year.
- The newly notified tiger reserve includes the tiger habitat between Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in the northeast and Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve on the southern side and facilitates dispersal of tigers from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.
- According to "Status of Tigers in India" report released in 2019, there are 2,967 tigers in 20 states across the country.
Source : Times of India
10. INDIA-NEPAL AGREEMENTS
India and Nepal signed and exchanged six Memorandum of Understandings and Agreements after bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba in Lumbini.
List of MoUs/Agreements signed and exchanged during Prime Minister's visit to Nepal:
- MoU between Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Lumbini Buddhist University on the establishment of Dr. Ambedkar Chair for Buddhist Studies
- MoU between Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and CNAS, Tribhuvan University on the establishment of ICCR Chair of Indian Studies
- MoU between Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Kathmandu University (KU) on the establishment of the ICCR Chair of Indian Studies
- MoU in collaboration between Kathmandu University (KU), Nepal and Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M), India
- Letter of Agreement (LoA) between Kathmandu University (KU), Nepal and Indian Institute of Technology (IITM), India [ For Joint degree program at Master’s level]
- Agreement between SJVN Ltd and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for Development and implementation of Arun 4 Project