About:

• On 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday, three churches across Sri Lanka and three luxury hotels in Colombo, were bombed.
  
  
• Targeted Locations: The church bombings were carried out during Easter services in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo; the hotels bombed were the Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury hotels, all in Colombo.
  
  
• Nature of Attack: Most of the blasts appear to have been suicide bombings.
  
  
• Victims: 290 people were killed and at least 500 injured. The majority are Sri Lankans, with at least 36 foreigners.
  
  
• Perpetrators:
  
  
• • No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts.
    
    
  • However, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe later acknowledged that on April 11, a top Sri Lankan police official issued an advisory, warning of potential suicide attacks on churches by a radical Islamist group called National Thoweeth Jama’ath (NTJ), which was ignored.
    
    
  • It is also alleged that a local module of ISIS seeking revenge for the New Zealand mosque attack could be behind Sunday’s episode.
    
    
  
  
  
• Aftermath: Sri Lanka’s government has declared an indefinite national curfew and blocked social media networks such as Facebook and WhatsApp in order to prevent the spread of rumors that might spark intercommunal violence, as happened in March 2018 when Buddhist mobs attacked Muslim mosques, businesses, and homes. 
  
  

About: 

• Name: Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits (SAECK) is also known as ‘rape investigation kits’.
  
  
• Function: Using these, police can collect blood and semen samples, besides other evidence, to carry out immediate medico-legal investigation and aid in furnishing evidence in sexual assault cases.
  
  
• Parent Programme: The SAECKs were procured with financial support under the central government's 'Nirbhaya Fund', which was named after the 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim.
  
  
• Guidelines: The Directorate of Forensic Sciences (DFSS), a wing of the Home Ministry, has issued two guidelines –
  • one for investigators and prosecutors for collection, storage and transportation of forensic evidence in sexual assault cases; and
    
    
  • the second for medical officers dealing with sexual assault cases.
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Scientific name: Chalcites basalis. 
  
  
• Distribution: It is a native of Australia and New Guinea. 
  
  
• Habitat: It is found in many wooded habitats (such as open and dry woodland and forest) with a range of understoreys from grasses to shrubs or heath. 
  
  
• Features: 
  • It is distinguished by the green and brown plumage on its back. 
    
    
  • It is known for its repeated, loud and piercing whistle. 
    
    
  • Being a cuckoo it is a nest parasite i.e. this species lays its eggs in the nests of other species. 
    
    
  
  
  
• IUCN Red List status: Least Concern. 
  
  

About: 

• Region of celebration: Tripura.  
  
  
• Deity honoured: Baba Garia, the deity of livestock and wealth. 
  
  
• Times of celebration: The three-day festival is held annually on the first day of the Hindu calendar month of ‘Vaisakh’ (mid-April). 
  
  
• Rituals:  
  • A bamboo pole that symbolizes the Lord Garia, is worshipped with flowers and garland. 
    
    
  • The main ingredients with which the Garia Puja is conducted are cotton thread, rice, riccha, chicken, rice beer, wine, earthen pots, eggs and wine. 
    
    
  • The chicken is sacrificed before the deity and the blood of the chicken is strewn before the Lord to get his blessing. 
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Date: Earth Day is observed every year on April 22.
  
  
• History: It was first celebrated in 1970. On April 22, 1970, millions of people took to the streets to protest the negative impacts of 150 years of industrial development.
  
  
• Objective: To increase the awareness among common public, especially among youngsters, to get full effect of the campaign of environmental safety.
  
  
• Organization: Earth Day Network (EDN) is the not for profit organisation that leads Earth Day worldwide.
  
  
• Earth Day 2019 Theme: Protect Our Species.
  
  

About:

• Background: The Odebrecht Scandal was discovered by Brazilian authorities in 2014.
  
  
• Name: The scam gets its name from Odebrecht, a giant construction firm based in Brazil.
  
  
• Scandal: Odebrecht has been accused of paying over $800 million in bribes to politicians and government officials in countries across South America over the past two decades in return for contracts to build largescale projects such as roads, pipelines, trains, and irrigation systems.
  
  
• Working:
  • Odebrecht is alleged to have built an elaborate structure for sending bribes to patrons.
    
    
  • It used shell companies in the British Virgin Islands and Belize to funnel money to politicians and officials, using multiple bank accounts scattered across the globe.
    
    
  • Smaller banks whose employees could be compromised were chosen, typically in jurisdictions with strict confidentiality laws.
    
    
  • A separate “Division for Structured Accounts” at Odebrecht ran these clandestine operations.
    
    
  
  
  
• Political fallout:
  • In Brazil, the leftist leader and President from 2003 to 2010, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was sent to jail for 12 years in 2018.
    
    
  • In Ecuador, a former Vice President has been sent to prison for six years. There are accusations against former Presidents of Colombia and Argentina.
    
    
  • In Peru, three former Presidents are accused in the scandal. Peru’s former President Alan Garcia committed suicide last week.
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• When observed? 21^st April every year. 
  
  
• Why 21^st April? On this day, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel addressed the first batch of probationers at the All India Administrative Service Training School at Metcalfe House, New Delhi in 1947. In his speech he called civil servants as the steel frame of India. 
  
  
• Objective? To make civil servants re-dedicate themselves to the cause of the citizens and renew their commitment to public service. 
  
  

About:

• What is it? The conference is the apex forum within the Service for institutionalised interaction between the Naval Commanders and between Naval Commanders and senior Government Officials.
  
  
• When held? It is a biannual conference i.e. it is held twice a year.
  
  
• Features: The Chief of the Naval Staff, with the Commanders-in-Chief, will review major operational, materiel, logistics, HR, training and administrative activities undertaken during the previous six months and deliberate upon the course to be steered in the ensuing six months.
  
  
• Theme: The Conference assumes greater significance in the backdrop of Pulwama associated events. The themes of 'Functional Reorganisation of Indian Navy towards improving Operational Efficiency' and 'Optimal Manning' will form the core of discussions.
  
  

About: 

• Organized by: The 2019 Global Skills Challenge was staged in conjunction with the Victorian Skills Commissioner and World Skills Australia. 
  
  
• Venue: Melbourne. 
  
  
• Duration: 10th to 14th April.
  
  
• Participants: Over 500 competitors and officials from 16 different countries participated in 24 different skill competitions.
  
  
• Winners from India: Total of 22 participants represented India in 21 skill trades at the competition. Sumanth Santemavathuru Chikkabettaiah and Manjunatha Desurakara won Silver in Mechatronics, Sanjoy Pramanik clinched Bronze in Jewellery and Saurabh Baghel bagged Bronze in Patisserie and Confectionery.
  
  
• Way ahead: All the 22 participants from India are hoping to represent their country at the upcoming 45th World Skills International Championship, to be held in Kazan, Russia in August.
  
  

About:

• What is it? The Santosh Trophy is an association football knock-out competition. Along with the National Football League, it is one of the top domestic championship in India.
  
  
• When held? The tournament is held every year.
  
  
• Participants: At present 31 teams participate in it. It is contested by the regional state associations and government institutions under the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the sport's governing body in India.
  
  
• Established in: The tournament was started in 1941.
  
  
• Name: It is named after Sir Manmatha Nath Roy Chowdhary of Santosh, the then president of West Bengal's football association (which later became the Indian Football Association).
  
  

About:

• Full name: The term biomarker is short for biological marker.
  
  
• Meaning: It generally refers to a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition. Biomarkers are often measured and evaluated to examine normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to a therapeutic intervention.
  
  
• Application:
  • Biochemical biomarkers are often used in clinical trials, where they are derived from bodily fluids that are easily available to the early phase researchers.
    
    
  • They are also used in pre-clinical work to identify compounds that appear to modulate disease in in vivo models and therefore might be tried in human clinical trials.
    
    
  • Disease-related biomarkers give an indication of the probable effect of treatment on patients.
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Scientific Name: Hoplobatrachus tigerinus.
  
  
• Common Name(s): Indian Bullfrog, Bull Frog, Golden Frog, Tiger Frog, Tiger Peters Frog.
  
  
• Range:
  • Native: This species is found throughout most wetland areas of India, Bangladesh, northern Pakistan, southern parts of Nepal and Myanmar.
    
    
  • Introduced: It has also been introduced to the Maldives and Madagascar.
    
    
  
  
  
• Habitat:
  • It is mainly aquatic, inhabiting mostly freshwater wetlands, both natural and artificial (especially paddy fields).
    
    
  • It is absent or uncommon in forested areas and coastal regions.
    
    
  
  
  
• IUCN Status: Least Concern (because of its wide distribution and tolerance of a broad range of habitats)
  
  
• Conservation Actions:
  • It is listed in Appendix II of CITES.
    
    
  • It is included in Schedule IV of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Established in: 2010. 
  
  
• Parent Legislation: The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010 (AMASR Act, 2010). 
  
  
• Parent ministry: Union Ministry of Culture. 
  
  
• Composition: The Act provides for NMA to be constituted with a Chairperson and up to 5 Whole Time and 5 Part Time Members each and a Member Secretary. Director-General of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an ex officio Member. 
  
  
• HQ: New Delhi. 
  
  
• Mandate: Several functions have been assigned to the NMA for the preservation of centrally protected monuments through management of the prohibited and regulated area around these monuments. Some of the responsibilities are – 
  • to consider grant of permissions to applicants for construction related activity in the prohibited and regulated area. 
    
    
  • To formulate heritage by-laws for protected monuments in the country to determine nature of new construction activity in regulated areas. 
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Debt mutual funds: Debt mutual funds, unlike equity MFs, invest in debt securities issued by companies (both publicly listed and privately held) and governments.
  
  
• Fixed Maturity Plans (FMPs):
  • FMPs are a class of debt funds that are close-ended i.e. one can only invest in them at the time of a new fund offer and they come with a specified maturity date, much like a fixed deposit (FD).
    
    
  • However FMPs don’t offer a guaranteed return but only pitch an indicative yield that the investor then takes a bet on.
    
    
  • The tenure of an FMP can vary between a few months to a few years.
    
    
  
  
  
• Benefits: Investments in FMPs are more tax-efficient, since there are ‘indexation’ benefits linked to capital gains, as opposed to tax on interest income in the case of an FD.
  
  
• Risks: FMPs, however, like other debt funds come with interest rate risk and credit risk.
  
  
• Both the mutual funds’ investment managers had invested (as part of their portfolios) in debt securities issued by some of the Subhash Chandra-promoted Essel Group’s listed and unlisted companies.
  
  

About:

• For the study, the researchers from Boston University College of Communication looked at five most commonly binge-watched online TV series — all of which were Netflix original shows: House of Cards, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Marco Polo, Bloodline and Daredevil.
  
  
• They found that violence in the top-streamed shows was very prevalent, graphic and intentional.
  
  
• And the more hours one spent on watching these online series, it is more likely that the viewer saw the world as a mean and scary place.
  
  

Mean world syndrome:

• History: The term was coined by George Gerbner (1919 – 2005) was a professor of communication and the founder of cultivation theory. Mean world syndrome is one of the main conclusions of cultivation theory.
  
  
• Meaning: It is described as a phenomenon whereby violence-related content of mass media makes viewers believe that the world is more dangerous than it actually is.
  
  
• Gerbner once said: "You know, who tells the stories of a culture really governs human behaviour. It used to be the parent, the school, the church, the community. Now it's a handful of global conglomerates that have nothing to tell, but a great deal to sell."
  
  

About: 

• Conditions covered: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of complex brain development disorders. This umbrella term covers conditions such as autism and Asperger syndrome. 
  
  
• Characteristics: These disorders are characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication and a restricted and repetitive repertoire of interests and activities. Around 50% of persons with ASD also suffer from an intellectual disability. 
  
  
• Cause: 
  • Various factors, both genetic and environmental, contribute to the onset of autism spectrum disorders by influencing early brain development. 
    
    
  • According to WHO, there is no evidence of a link between measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism spectrum disorders. Previous studies suggesting a causal link were found to be seriously flawed. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Prevalence: According to WHO estimates, 1 child in 160 has an autism spectrum disorder. This is an average figure, and reported prevalence varies substantially across studies. 
  
  
• World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD): In 2008, The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day. 
  
  

About: 

• The five-year study was conducted by a team of researchers in Singapore and was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It analysed survey and census population data from 202 countries. 
  
  
• Key Findings of the study: 
  • There are now 23.1 million 'missing' females in the world as a result of people terminating pregnancies because the child would have been born female. 
    
    
  • Approximately 10.6 million of these so-called 'missing females' are in India and 11.9 million are from China. 
    
    
  • The added pressure of China's single-child policy and the desire of parents to have a boy compounded the problem led the global gender ratio shifted up to 118:100 in favour of males in 2005. 
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Parent project? Imphal is the third ship after Visakhapatnam and Mormugao to be launched under a ‘Project-15B’.
  
  
• Bodies involved: It has been designed indigenously by the Navy's Directorate of Naval Design and is constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders.
  
  
• Name: It is the first warship to be christened after a city in the north-east.
  
  
• Features:
  • Each ship under Project-15B spans 163-metre in length and 17.4-metre at beam, with a displacement of 7,300-tonne.
    
    
  • These ships, which can operate two multi-role helicopters each, are propelled by four gas turbines to achieve speed in excess of 30 knots.
    
    
  • These Guided missile destroyers incorporate new design concepts for improved survivability, sea keeping, stealth and manoeuvrability.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Music genre: He was the foremost urban exponent of the Bengali folk songs who played a substantial role in popularising them.
  
  
• Contribution to cinema: He has sung playback songs in many films including Satyajit Ray’s Hirak Rajar Deshe.
  
  
• Books authored: He has also published books on the subject of folk music such as Banglar Loksangeet, and Banglaar Nadir Gaan.
  
  
• Awards and Honours: For his service in the field of Bengali folk music, he has received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award as well as Lalan Puraskar and Sangeet Mahasamman by Government of the West Bengal.
  
  

About:

• Names: Easter is also called Pascha or Resurrection Sunday.
  
  
• What is it? It is a festival commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
  • As per the New Testament, Christ was crucified by the Romans at Calvary on the day of Good Friday and buried in a grave. On the third day, however, his disciples visited his grave only to find it to be empty.
    
    
  • His resurrection is what ultimately makes him the ‘Son of God’. It also serves as a symbol of divinity.
    
    
  
  
  
• Background:
  • Originally, the feast day of Easter was a pagan celebration of renewal and rebirth. It was celebrated in the early spring, and the day was dedicated in honouring the pagan Saxon goddess Eastre.
    
    
  • However, after the early missionaries converted the Saxons to Christianity, the holiday, fell around the same time as the time Christ was resurrected from the dead.
    
    
  • Thus, both the days were merged and it came known as Easter. Even the meaning of Easter was changed to include its new Christian orientation.
    
    
  
  
  
• Easter eggs: The egg is an ancient symbol of new life and rebirth. In Christianity it became associated with Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.
  
  

About:

• Report name: ICP has been introduced as part of the report titled “Cancer preparedness around the world: National readiness for a global epidemic.”
  
  
• Prepared by: The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
  
  
• Countries covered: 28 countries.
  
  
• Objective: To allow benchmarking of national efforts and identify best practice in addressing the cancer challenge.
  
  
• Domains covered: The ICP explores the issue of cancer preparedness through three broad domains: 1) policy and planning; 2) care delivery; and 3) health systems and governance.
  
  
• Four essentials of cancer preparedness: Investment (appropriate spending and resources), roadmap (effective planning), foundation (functioning health systems) and intelligence (availability and quality of cancer-related data).
  
  

Findings on overall best practices for cancer preparedness:

• Top 3: Australia tops the ICP, followed by the Netherlands and Germany.
  
  
• Bottom 3: Saudi Arabia, Romania and Egypt face the largest room for improvement.
  
  
• Indian Scenario: India is ranked 19 out of 28 countries with a score of 64.9/100.
  
  

About: 

• What is it? LLP is an alternative corporate business form that gives the benefits of limited liability of a company and the flexibility of a partnership. Hence LLP is called a hybrid between a company and a partnership. 
  
  
• Legislation in India: All limited liability partnership is governed under the limited liability partnership act of 2008. The Corporate Affairs Ministry implements the Act.
  
  
• LLP vs Traditional partnership firm:
  • Under “traditional partnership firm”, every partner is liable, jointly with all the other partners and also severally for all acts of the firm done while he is a partner.
    
    
  • Under LLP structure, liability of the partner is limited to his agreed contribution. Thus, individual partners are shielded from joint liability created by another partner’s wrongful acts or misconduct.
    
    
  
  
  
• LLP vs a Company:
  • The internal governance structure of a company is regulated by statute (i.e. Companies Act, 1956) whereas for an LLP it would be by a contractual agreement between partners.
    
    
  • The management-ownership divide inherent in a company is not there in a limited liability partnership.
    
    
  • LLP will have more flexibility as compared to a company.
    
    
  • LLP will have lesser compliance requirements as compared to a company.
    
    
  
  
  

Key highlights of the BBBs activity report for the October 2018-March 2019 period:

• It has identified 75 senior officers for leadership roles in nationalised banks take on the emerging challenges. Shortly, a globally ranked Indian institution will be identified where every year the identified personnel will undergo intensive training.
  
  
• It has made a case for giving a complete autonomy to banks to decide organisational structure for better efficiency.
  
  
• It also suggested revamping credit governance architecture in nationalised banks to minimise credit costs and enhance efficiency of credit allocation. 
  
  

About:

• Name of Study: Assessment of Water Quality and Sediment To Understand Special Properties of River Ganga.
  
  
• Bodies involved: The study was commissioned by the Union Water Resources Ministry and was conducted by the Nagpur-based National Environmental Engineering and Research Institute (NEERI), a CSIR lab.
  
  
• Objective of study: To probe the “unique properties” of the Ganga (About 200 years ago British colonial scientists suggested that the Ganga may contain unique microbial life, which makes it relatively more resilient to putrefaction).
  
  
• Findings of the study:
  • Ganga river water — particularly in its upper Himalayan stretches — contains a significantly higher proportion of organisms with antibacterial properties as compared to other Indian rivers.
    
    
  • In the river Ganga, the bacteriophages were detected to be approximately 3 times more in proportion than bacterial isolates.
    
    
  
  
  
• Significance: The super-phage isolated from Ganga and decoded for its lysine gene and cloned to produce lysine protein at IIT Roorkee holds great potential as an antibacterial pharmaceutical.
  
  

About: 

• The Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) envisages a single pan-India emergency number '112', which is an internationally recognised number, to target all types of emergencies. 
  
  
• Features: 
  • The single number for emergency services is similar to '911' in the United States. 
    
    
  • The '112' helpline is an integration of police (100), fire (101) and women (1090) helpline numbers. 
    
    
  • On pressing the number, the system would identify the location of the person in distress connecting through voice or data and immediate assistance would be provided.
    
    
  
  
  
• SHOUT: To ensure safety of women, a SHOUT feature has been introduced in ‘112 India’ mobile app to seek immediate assistance from registered volunteers in the vicinity apart from the immediate assistance from Emergency Response Centre (ERCs). The SHOUT feature is exclusively available to women.
  
  
• Parent Programme: The project is being implemented under Nirbhaya Fund, which was set up by the central government for projects specifically designed to improve the safety and security of the women.
  
  
• Background: In November 2018, Himachal Pradesh became the first state to launch pan-India single emergency number ‘112’ under ERSS project.
  
  

About: 

• Members of the alliance: Indian Tea Association, China Tea Marketing Association, Indonesian Tea Marketing Association, Sri Lanka Tea Board and Japan Tea Association.  
  
  
• Mandate: Enhancing tea trade, cultural exchanges, technology exchanges as well as enhancing global consumption of tea, while creating a sustainability agenda for the future of Asian tea. 
  
  
• Background: The forging of this alliance comes in the aftermath of the signing of a MoU in December 2018 between the Indian Tea Association and China Tea Marketing Association to promote green and black tea consumption in major tea markets of Europe, the U.S., Russia and West Asia, besides India and China. 
  
  

About:

• Recently, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) has given its approval to amend the Rule 65(15)(b) and Rule 65(15)(c) so that medical shops can be called a ‘pharmacy’.
  
  
• The change was deliberated and recommended by the 55th Drug Consultative Committee meeting held in January and March this year.
  
  
• Reason for change:
  • The step is in concurrence with the international practice of calling a medical shop selling medicines by the name ‘pharmacy.
    
    
  • The phrase ‘chemists and druggists’ was coined over seven decades ago in 1945 and has lost its relevance in the current scenario.
    
    
  • The word ‘drug’ is looked upon as more clandestine, and as addiction to chemicals, and thus it’s not suitable while referring to a professional pharmacist.
    
    
  • This will give the profession better recognition and provide an identity and sense of value to the practising pharmacist at the outlets.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• This is the third hike in three consecutive years.
  
  
• Background: In February this year, the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a meeting with Prime Minister Modi had announced that Indian Haj quota would be increased by 25 thousand.
  
  
• Significance of Decision: The decision will ensure that all the Haj applicants from big states like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar can embark pilgrimage this year as their waiting lists have been cleared due to the increase in quota.
  
  

About: 

• Content of Poem: 'Khooni Vaisakhi' is a 100-year-old classic Punjabi poem about Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
  
  
• Author of original poem: Revolutionary poet and novelist Nanak Singh, a Jallianwala Bagh survivor, wrote it after witnessing first-hand the events of April 13, 1919.
  
  
• English translation: On the occasion of 100 years of that event the poem was translated by India's Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri, grandson of Nanak Singh.
  
  
• Background: April 13, 2019 marks 100 years since the Jallianwala Bagh massacre that took place in Amritsar. On this day, British troops fired upon crowds of protesters celebrating Vaisakhi and peacefully demonstrating against the Rowlatt Act of the British Raj, leading to the loss of well over a thousand lives.
  
  

About:

• Mission Objective: Its camera mission is to capture images of Sri Lanka and its neighbouring countries.
  
  
• Features: ‘Raavana 1’ weights around 1.05 kg and the lifespan of the satellite is around one and a half years.
  
  
• Bodies involved: The satellite was designed and built at the Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan by two Sri Lankan research engineers.
  
  
• Significance: The launch marks Sri Lanka’s entry into the global space age.
  
  

About: 

• The committee has proposed change in the methodology for taxing MNCs, including digital firms, having permanent establishment in India by giving weightage to factors like domestic sales, employee strength, assets and user base. 
  
  
• Key Recommendations: 
  • MNCs that are incurring global losses or a global profit margin of less than 2 % and have operations in India will be deemed to have made a profit of 2 % of Indian revenue or turnover and will be taxed accordingly. 
    
    
  • Sales, employees (manpower and wages) and assets in India of a multinational corporations (MNCs) should be taken into account for determining domestic tax liability. 
    
    
  • In case of digital companies, the weightage will be given to an additional fourth criteria of 'user' base. 
    
    
  • It provides different weightage for digital companies categorising them as "high" and "low or medium" user base with significant economic presence in India.
    
    
  
  
  
• Way ahead: It has invited comments from stakeholders on the report within 30 days.
  
  

About: 

• Background:
  • Satish Chandra Verma, an IPS officer, had approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) after the Government of India denied permission to him for a private foreign visit. The police officer is currently facing departmental proceedings against him.
    
    
  • The Tribunal and later the High Court held that there was nothing wrong in the denial of permission due to lack of vigilance clearance. He then approached supreme court.
    
    
  
  
  
• Supreme Court Verdict:
  • He has a fundamental right to travel and that right cannot be infringed on the ground that vigilance clearance has not been given.
    
    
  • The Supreme Court referred to its Maneka Gandhi judgment upholding the right to travel and the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case of 1958 Kent vs Dulles.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Project Objective: Educating students on the “usefulness” of genomics; To determine unique genetic traits of the citizens and their susceptibility (and resilience) to disease.
  
  
• Bodies involved: The sequencing will be done at the CSIR laboratories namely Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB).
  
  
• Methodology:
  • Genomes will be sequenced based on a blood sample and the scientists plan to hold at least 30 camps covering most States.
    
    
  • Every person whose genomes are sequenced will be given a report. The participants would be told if they carry gene variants that make them less responsive to certain classes of medicines.
    
    
  
  
  
• Significance: The project would prove India’s capabilities at executing whole-genome sequencing. This is the first time that such a large sample of Indians will be recruited for a detailed study.
  
  

About: 

• Background: In 2018, a study by Harvard scientists suggested that ‘Oumuamua' — discovered in late 2017, known as the first object from outside the Solar System to do a fly-by of Earth — may have been an alien probe sent to investigate Earth, and not a comet as previously thought.
  
  
• Recent development: Now, a recent research paper by Loeb and a colleague, Amir Siraj, have proposed that before ‘Oumuamua, there may have been another recent interstellar visitor — a meteor from another solar system may have actually hit Earth in 2014. It burned up in the atmosphere and fell into the South Pacific.
  
  
• Criteria: They reached their conclusion by searching NASA’s Near Earth Object Database to identify the fastest meteors with strange trajectories. If an object moves extremely fast, it can be a sign that it is not tied to an orbit around the sun. The object they spotted was travelling at about 60 km/sec.
  
  

About:

• Objective of LoC trade: LoC trade is meant to facilitate exchange of goods of common use between local populations across the LoC in Jammu & Kashmir.
  
  
• Facilitation centres: The trade is allowed through two trade facilitation centres located at (1) Salamabad, Uri, District Baramulla and (2) Chakkan-da-Bagh, District Poonch.
  
  
• Features: The trade takes place four days a week. It is based on a barter system and is carried out on a zero duty basis.
  
  
• Recent suspension: The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued orders for suspending LoC trade at Salamabad and Chakkan-da-Bagh in Jammu and Kashmir with immediate effect.
  
  
• Reason for suspension:
  • The decision was taken on grounds that the trade routes were being misused by the Pakistan based elements for funnelling illegal weapons, narcotics and fake currency etc.
    
    
  • After the Pulwama incident, Government of India has withdrawn the "Most Favoured Nation (MFN)” status to Pakistan. So in order to evade the consequent higher duty, LoC trade is likely to be misused to a much larger extent.
    
    
  
  
  
• Way ahead: A stricter regulatory and enforcement mechanism is being worked out and will be put in place in consultation with various agencies. The issue of reopening of LoC trade will be revisited thereafter.
  
  

About: 

• Objective: FocalNet is a new artificial intelligence (AI) system to help radiologists improve their ability to diagnose ‘prostate cancer’ by evaluating magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans with nearly the same level of accuracy as experienced radiologists. 
  
  
• Working: 
  • FocalNet uses an algorithm that comprises more than a million trainable variables. 
    
    
  • The team trained the system by having it analyse MRI scans of 417 men with prostate cancer. Scans were fed into the system so that it could learn to assess and classify tumours in a consistent way and have it compare the results to the actual pathology specimen. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Significance: This could save time and provide guidance to less-experienced radiologists. 
  • Radiologists use MRI to detect malignant prostate tumours. However, it takes practicing on thousands of scans to accurately determine whether a tumour is cancerous or benign. 
    
    
  • In addition, many hospitals do not have the resources to implement the highly specialised training required for detecting cancer from MRIs. 
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Names: Good Friday is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Black Friday and Easter Friday. 
  
  
• When observed? It is observed on the Friday before Easter Sunday, that marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 
  
  
• Why observed? Good Friday marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary.
  • Christ was betrayed by Judas and sentenced to death.
    
    
  • Christians believe Jesus was crucified on Good Friday and rose again three days later - which is marked as Easter.
    
    
  • The three days are known as the Easter Triduum.
    
    
  
  
  
• How is it observed?
  • Christian observe Good Friday with fasting and church services.
    
    
  • Special masses and processions take place in all major churches. Bands playing sombre music accompany the procession to create an atmosphere of mourning.
    
    
  • The ceremony of the Way of the Cross takes place as a re-enactment of scenes from the Crucifixion.
    
    
  
  
  
• Meaning of Good? The word ''good'' in the Good Friday stands for pious or holy. The death of Jesus symbolises the death and forgiveness for all of mankind's sins, with Jesus taking the ultimate sacrifice for the good of all humans. 
  
  

About: 

• NASA astronaut Christina Koch is going to have her mission on the International Space Station (ISS) extended to 328 days. Koch arrived at the space station on March 14 and now is scheduled to remain in orbit until February 2020. 
  
  
• Current record holders: 
  • This would set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman by breaking the record of 288 days set by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson in 2016-17. 
    
    
  • The longest single spaceflight by a NASA astronaut is 340 days, set by former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly during his one-year mission in 2015-16. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Significance: Her extended mission will help scientists gather additional data about the effects of long-duration human spaceflight beyond those of the normal six-month station expedition. Such research is essential to support future missions to the Moon and Mars.