Current Affairs from The Hindu DATE:21-06-15
S.NO. NEWS ITEM
SYLLUBUS
1.
Chengdu is Indias a) I.R
gateway to
western China
(Page 8)
2.
Dhaka has shown a) International
strong
commitment to
counter terror
groups (Page 12)
3.
LTTEs financial a) International
network still
intact: US report
(Page 12)
4.
Bt Cotton leading a) National
to suicides in rainfed areas: US
b) Social issue
study (Page 9)
5.
PM helps design a)
logo for Housing
for All (Page 9)
6.
Rare sculptures
discovered at
Hampi (Page 6)
7.
a)
b)
Humans driving a)
sixth mega
wipeout of
b)
animals (Page 18)
ESSENCE OF THE ARTICLE
a) India is discovering Chengdu (a globally integrated
economic hub) as a gateway to western China and cyberconnected parts of the Asia-Pacific.
a) The US has lauded Bangladesh for its strong
political will and firm commitment in combating both
domestic and transnational terrorist groups.
a) According to US report, the LTTEs international
network of sympathisers and financial support persists
despite its defeat at the hands of the Sri Lankan Army in
2009.
a) A latest study by US says that the cultivation of Bt
Cotton (a genetically modified, insect-resistant cotton
variety) is a risky affair for Indian farmers practising
rain-fed agriculture.
National
a) At a meeting to finalise the details of the Pradhan
Mantri Awas Yojana scheme (which expects housing for
all by 2022), the PM Modi seemed unimpressed with the
designs that the Ministry of Housing and Poverty
Alleviation had procured from several creative teams.
National
a) It was a trek up Gandha Madana hill that led to
Archaeological Survey of India discovering some rare
History
rock sculptures at Hampi.
Environment a) Many conservationists have been warning for years
that a mass extinction event close to one that wiped out
Geography the dinosaurs is occurring as humans degrade and destroy
habitats. But the authors of a study said that even when
they analysed the most conservative extinction rates, the
rate at which vertebrates were being lost forever was far
higher than in the last five mass extinctions.
1
Current Affairs from The Hindu DATE:21-06-15
S.NO. NEWS ITEM
SYLLUBUS
1.
Chengdu is Indias a) I.R
gateway to
western China
(Page 8)
BACKGROUND
a) India – China
relations
b)
Trade ties
c)
Chengdu
IMPORTANT POINTS
a) India is discovering
Chengdu (a globally integrated
economic hub) as a gateway to
western China and cyberconnected parts of Asia-Pacific.
b) Indias Ambassador to
China says since the western
region of China is developing
very rapidly, our presence in
this region will be helpful to
develop relations between India
and China in different areas,
especially in trade and
economy, culture and tourism.
c) He pointed out that given
Chengdus location as a link
with western, central, northwestern and south-western
China, India has decided to
open a consulate in the city.
The Chinese are opening a
consulate in Chennai, in order
to deepen engagement along the
Bay of Bengal coastline.
2.
Dhaka has shown a)
strong
commitment to
counter terror
groups (Page 12)
International
d) Chengdu has also become
the engine of Chinas Western
Development Programme - a
strategic plan to develop inland
China, following the dramatic
success in building coastal
China.
a) Bangladeshs counter a) US has lauded Bangladesh
terrorism
for its strong political will and
firm commitment in combating
b) Antiterrorism Act
both domestic and transnational
(ATA) of 2009
terrorist groups.
c)
UN Security Council
b)
Noting that the Awami
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Current Affairs from The Hindu DATE:21-06-15
Resolution (UNSCR)
2178
League govt is active in the full
range of international fora, the
report said that the current govt
has showed its strong interest in
cooperating with India on
counterterrorism.
c) It noted that the govt
signed MoU with a number of
countries to share evidence
regarding criminal
investigations, including
investigations related to
financial crimes and terrorist
financing.
d) It said that Bangladeshs
criminal justice system is in the
process of fully implementing
ATA of 2009 as amended in
2012 and 2013. Bangladesh
used strategic communication
to counter violent.
3.
LTTEs financial a)
network still
intact: US report
(Page 12)
International
e) The report pointed out that
though Bangladeshs ATA does
not outlaw recruitment and
travel in furtherance of
terrorism, the broad language of
the ATA provides several
mechanisms by which
Bangladesh can implement
UNSCR 2178, which requires
nations to address the foreign
terrorist fighter threat.
a) Sri Lankan internal a) According to US report,
issues
the LTTEs international
network of sympathisers and
b) Liberation Tigers of financial support persists
Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
despite its defeat at the hands of
the Sri Lankan Army in 2009.
c) Eelam War IV
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Current Affairs from The Hindu DATE:21-06-15
b) After the end of the Eelam
War IV, there have been no
known attacks in Sri Lanka that
could be attributed to LTTE but
a total of 13 LTTE supporters
(several of which had allegedly
planned attacks against the US
and Israeli diplomatic facilities
in India) were arrested in
Malaysia in 2014.
c) As in previous years, the
Department maintained that the
LTTE has used its international
contacts and the large Tamil
diaspora in North American,
Europe and Asia to procure
weapons, communications,
funding and other needed
supplies. It added that the group
employed charities as fronts to
collect and divert funds for its
activities.
d) The document cited lack of
transparent tender mechanisms
in govt projects as one of the
reasons for the countrys
vulnerability to money
laundering and terrorist finance,
even though Sri Lanka was
neither an important regional
financial centre nor a preferred
centre for money laundering.
e) According to the report,
the Sri Lankan govt maintained
a strong military presence in
post-conflict areas and
continued to voice concern
about the possible re-emergence
of pro-LTTE sympathisers.
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Current Affairs from The Hindu DATE:21-06-15
4.
Bt Cotton leading a)
to suicides in
rain-fed areas:
b)
US study (Page
9)
National
Social issue
a)
Bt Cotton
a) A latest study by US says
that the cultivation of Bt Cotton
b) Rain-fed areas in
(a genetically modified, insectIndia
resistant cotton variety) is a
risky affair for Indian farmers
c) International Food
practising rain-fed agriculture.
Policy Research Institute
Annual suicide rates of farmers
in rain-fed areas are directly
related to increase in Bt Cotton
adoption.
b) Revisiting the raw annual
suicide data for Andhra
Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka
and Maharashtra during 20012010, the authors found 86,607
of 549,414 suicides were by
farmers, and 87 percent were
men with the numbers peaking
in the 30-44 age group.
c) Total suicides per year per
State were regressed singly on
the averages of proportion of
area seeded to rain-fed cotton,
average farm size, cottongrowing area, area under Bt
Cotton, proportion of area
under Bt Cotton, and simulated
average yield a hectare that
includes the effects of weather.
d) The study is significant for
two reasons. First, most cotton
cultivation in India is rain-fed.
Second, between 2002 and
2010, the adoption of Bt Cotton
hybrid went up significantly to
86 percent of total cultivated
area of cotton in India.
e)
Though cultivating the Bt
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Current Affairs from The Hindu DATE:21-06-15
Cotton variety may be
economic in irrigated areas, the
costs of the seed and insecticide
increase the risk of farmer debt
in low-yield rain-fed settings.
The study challenges the
common assumption in
economic analyses that cotton
pests must be controlled to
prevent monetary losses, thus
encouraging Bt Cotton
adoption.
f) The authors say the annual
emergence of key cotton pest
pink bollworm in spring is
poorly timed to attack rain-fed
cotton and large populations of
the pest fail to develop in nonBt rain-fed cotton. This reduces
and usually prevents the need
for Bt Cotton and disruptive
insecticides. They recommend
that high-density short-season
cotton could increase yields and
reduce input costs in irrigated
and rain-fed cotton.
g) Bt Cotton has been shown
to improve cotton yields by past
studies, such as one conducted
by International Food Policy
Research Institute in 2012.
Examining the contribution of
Bt Cotton adoption to long-term
average cotton yields in India in
9 cotton-producing States from
1975 to 2009, the study showed
that Bt Cotton contributed 19
percent of the total yield growth
over time, since its introduction
in 2002.
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Current Affairs from The Hindu DATE:21-06-15
5.
PM helps design a)
logo for Housing
for All (Page 9)
National
a) Pradhan Mantri
Awas Yojana scheme
(Housing for all by 2022
scheme)
a) At a meeting to finalise the
details of the PMAY scheme
(which expects housing for all
by 2022), the PM Modi seemed
unimpressed with the designs
that the Ministry of Housing
and Poverty Alleviation had
procured from several creative
teams.
b) According to a source, he
found most of the designs either
too direct depicting house or
too cluttered. Of few sketches
that the PM drew, one which
has an H for house with a not
too distinct roof and an Ashok
Chakra on the top is now being
worked upon.
6.
Rare sculptures
discovered at
Hampi (Page 6)
a)
National
a)
Rock sculptures
b)
History
b)
Hampi
c)
Vijayanagar period
d) Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI)
c) PM Modi has promised
housing for all with amenities
including piped water, toilet
facilities and electricity by
2022, when nation completes
75 years of Independence.
a) It was a trek up Gandha
Madana hill that led to ASI
discovering some rare rock
sculptures at Hampi.
b) They found sculptures of
Vishnu, in the form of
Dhanwantri, sculpted on the
cliff of a gigantic boulder.
Adjacent to it was sculpture of
Rama along with Lakshmana,
Hanuman in the background.
c) They said the findings
might date back to the earlier
Vijayanagar period.
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Current Affairs from The Hindu DATE:21-06-15
7.
Humans driving a)
sixth mega
wipeout of
b)
animals (Page 18)
Environment
a)
Biodiversity
Geography
b)
Species extinction
c) Anthropogenic
factors
d) The face and crown of the
Vishnu sculpture looks to be
that of Amruta Kalasa. The
sculpture of Dhanwantri Vishnu
with Sridevi and Bhoodevi on
either side, holding Shankha
and chakra in his hands. This is
the first time such sculptures
have been found.
a) Many conservationists
have been warning for years
that a mass extinction event
close to one that wiped out the
dinosaurs is occurring as
humans degrade and destroy
habitats.
b) But the authors of a study
said that even when they
analysed the most conservative
extinction rates, the rate at
which vertebrates were being
lost forever was far higher than
in the last five mass extinctions.
c) Previous studies have
warned that impact of humans
taking land for buildings,
farming and timber has been to
make species extinct at speeds
unprecedented in Earths 4.5
billion-year history.
d) Under a natural rate of
extinction, the study said that 2
species go extinct per 10,000
species per 100 years, rather
than one species that previous
work has assumed. They found
that modern rates of extinction
were 8 to 100 times higher.
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