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News for the Day (13th August, 2024)

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 13-Aug-2024

Current Affairs

MITRA SHAKTI 2024

Why in the News?

The 10th edition of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise MITRA SHAKTI began in Maduru Oya, Sri Lanka.

About the Exercise

  • Indian contingent is being represented by a Battalion of Rajputana Rifles along with personnel from other arms and services.
  • The Sri Lankan contingent is being represented by personnel from Gajaba Regiment of Sri Lankan Army.
  • The last edition was conducted in Pune in Nov 2023.
  • Aim: To enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake counter insurgency operations in a Sub Conventional scenario.

About Sri Lanka

  • Independence: 1948 from Bristish Rule
  • Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
  • Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee
  • Languages: Sinhala, Tamil
  • President: Ranil Wickremesinghe
  • Prime minister: Dinesh Gunawardena
  • Maritime Border: Palk Strait

Map of Sri Lanka


Flag of Sri Lanka

CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT ACT (CAA), 2019

Why in the News?

  • Twenty Sikhs from Afghanistan, part of the first group of Afghan Sikhs have been accorded citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 in New Delhi.

About CAA

  • The Act 2019 seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955.
  • It provides citizenship on the basis of religion to six undocumented non-Muslim communities (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians) from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who entered India on or before 31st December, 2014.
  • It exempts the members of the six communities from any criminal case under the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Passport Act, 1920.

Note:

  • The citizenship laws in India derived their origins from the constitution under Articles 5-11 and the Citizenship Act of 1955.
  • This Act provided provisions for citizenship by birth, descent, registration and naturalisation.

NATIONAL TREASURE AT FORT ST. GEORGE MUSEUM

Why in the News?

The 12 feet long and 8 feet wide national treasure in Fort St. George Museum, Chennai is one of the first flag that was hoisted on August 15, 1947, at Fort St. George. This is the only surviving flag of India that is at display which was hoisted in 1947. The Indian Independence Gallery at the Museum also showcases the evolution of Indian flag and tales behind the hailed Tiranga.


Indian Flag


Independence Gallery at the Museum

About Fort St. George Museum

  • It was officially opened to the public on 31st January 1948.
  • A drawing at the museum's entrance depicts the evolution and construction of Fort St. George since 1640.
  • The concept of establishing the museum within the fort to preserve relics of the Raj was proposed in 1946 by Col. D.M. Reid of the old Madras Guards.
  • The museum now houses over 3,500 artifacts from the colonial period and the items are displayed across nine galleries.


Fort St. George Museum

Indian National Flag

  • History
    • Arguably the first national flag of India is said to have been hoisted on 7th August 1906, in Kolkata at the Parsee Bagan Square (Green Park).
    • The second Indian flag was raised by Madame Bhikaji Cama in Paris in 1907.
    • In 1917, Dr Annie Besant and Lokmanya Tilak adopted a new flag as part of the Home Rule Movement.
      • It had five alternate red and four green horizontal stripes, and seven stars in the Saptarishi configuration.
      • A white crescent and star occupied one top corner, and the other had Union Jack.
    • In 1921, at the Bezwada session of the All-India Congress Committee, Pingali Venkayya designed a flag with red and green colors representing Hindus and Muslims.
      • Gandhi suggested adding a white stripe for the remaining communities of India and a spinning wheel to symbolize the country's development.
    • In 1931 a resolution was approved accepting a tricolor flag as our National Flag.
      • This flag had three stripes- saffron, white and green with spinning wheel of Mahatma Gandhi in the middle.
    • In1947, the Constituent Assembly embraced the Indian flag with three trips and Asoka chakra in the middle.
      • Consequently, the tricolor flag of the Congress Party ultimately became the tricolor flag of Independent India.

Evolution of Indian Flag

  • Details of National Flag
    • Saffron on top symbolises strength and courage, white in the middle represents peace and truth and green at the bottom stands for fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land.
    • The Ashok Chakra with 24 spokes replaced the spinning wheel as the emblem on the flag. It is intended to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation.
    • The National Flag should be rectangular with a length to width ratio of 3:2.
  • Constitutional and Legal Aspect
    • The Part IV-A of the Constitution (which consists of only one Article 51-A) specifies the eleven Fundamental Duties. According to Article 51A (a).
    • It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem.
    • A person who is convicted for the following offences under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act of 1971 is disqualified to contest in the elections to the Parliament and state legislature for 6 years.
      • Offence of insulting the National Flag,
      • Offence of insulting the Constitution of India,
      • Offence of preventing the singing of the National Anthem.

EARTH'S TERMINATOR

Why in the News?

NASA shared a picture of the Earth’s terminator taken from the International Space Station (ISS). The image captured from about 267 miles above Earth and shows the thin line separating day and night.


Earth’s Terminator

About ISS

It is the largest man-made object in space launched on 20th November 1998 and serves as a habitat for astronauts in space.

The ISS is a joint project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).

Orbit: The International Space Station is in orbit about 400 kilometers above Earth.

Speed: It travels around Earth at a speed of about 28,000 kilometers per hour. This means that it orbits Earth about every 90 minutes.

Objectives: To expand our knowledge about space and microgravity and promote new scientific research. It also serves as an example of international cooperation.

International Space Station (ISS)

Note:

  • Earth's Terminator is the line that separates day and night. It is also referred to as the grey line and the twilight zone.

WORLD ORGAN DONATION DAY 2024

  • It is annually observed on 13th August
  • The day raises awareness about the importance of organ donation and encourages people to register as organ donors.
  • The theme for the day 2024 is “Be the Reason for Someone’s Smile Today!”

General Knowledge

ECO SENSITIVE ZONES (ESZ)

  • The National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) stipulated that state governments should declare land falling within 10 km of the boundaries of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries as eco-fragile zones or Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) under the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986.
  • Areas beyond 10 km can also be notified by the Union government as ESZs, if they hold larger ecologically important “sensitive corridors”.
  • Activities Around ESZs
    • Prohibited Activities: Commercial mining, saw mills, industries causing pollution (air, water, soil, noise etc), establishment of major hydroelectric projects (HEP), commercial use of wood.
    • Regulated Activities: Felling of trees, establishment of hotels and resorts, commercial use of natural water, erection of electrical cables, drastic change of agriculture system, e.g., adoption of heavy technology, pesticides etc, widening of roads.
    • Permitted Activities: Ongoing agricultural or horticultural practices, rainwater harvesting, organic farming, use of renewable energy sources, adoption of green technology for all activities.
  • Significance of ESZs
    • Minimise the Impact of Development Activities
    • In-situ Conservation
    • Minimise Forest Depletion and Man-Animal Conflict
    • Minimise the Negative Impact on the Fragile Ecosystems

Note:

  • India has more than 600 Ecologically Sensitive Zones declared across different states.

  • Some of India’s major Eco-Sensitive Zones are Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.

EMINENT PERSONALITIES IN THE NEWS TODAY

Name Designation Image
D.K. Sivakumar Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka
Ashwani Kumar Former Union Minister for Law and Justice
Nara Chandrababu Naidu Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
Tom Daley Former British Diver
Nayab Singh Soni Chief Minister of Haryana
Nongthombam Biren Singh Chief Minister of Manipur
Mamata Banerjee Chief Minister of West Bengal