Daily Current Affairs for TNPSC Group Exams, Upsc Exams, SSC, RRB, BANK & All Government Exams
The Hindu – 04 July 2022
1. Strategic bridge washed away in Arunachal
- Page 3.
- Security, Disaster Management, Environment and Conservation.
- A Bailey bridge, connecting two strategic locations in Kurung Kumey district of Arunachal Pradesh, was washed away in a flash flood. The bridge over Oyong river near Kororu village connected Koloring, the district headquarters, with Damin — a vital link at the India-China border.
2. Wakeup call
- Page 6.
- Disaster Management, Conservation, Environment.
- The landslide that occurred last week in the Tupul area in Manipur’s Noney district will go down as one of the severest natural disasters in the State. The tragic disaster has been compounded by the debris of the landslide blocking the Ijei river, creating a significant welling up of water which could inundate low-lying areas if the “dam” like structure is breached. While the administration has sought to ease the water outflow from the stored water, inclement weather has hampered the pace of the efforts and the government and disaster management officials must now take precautions to ensure that the consequences of the disaster do not snowball even further.
Daily Current Affairs for TNPSC Group Exams, Upsc Exams, SSC, RRB, BANK & All Government Exams
The Hindu – 04 July 2022
3. Technology is no panacea for custodial deaths
- Page 6.
- Transparency and Accountability.
- India has a grim record in police brutality and custodial violence. Between 2001 and 2018, 1,727 persons died in police custody, but only 26 policemen were convicted for such deaths. Custodial deaths are common despite enormous time and money being spent on training police personnel to embrace scientific methods of investigation. This is because police personnel are humans from different backgrounds and with different perspectives. There is a lot of concern about AI or robot interrogations, both legally and ethically. There exists the risk of bias, the peril of automated interrogation tactics, the threat of ML algorithms targeting individuals and communities, and the hazard of its misuse for surveillance. Therefore, while the technology available to the police and law-enforcement agencies is constantly improving, it is a restricted tool that can’t eradicate custodial deaths.
4. Dogged by inflation
- Page 6.
- Economy, Growth and Development.
- Two recent sets of macroeconomic data — the Government’s Index of Eight Core Industries for May, and S&P Global’s survey-based Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector for June — posit an economy where industrial momentum is being weighed down by relentless price pressures. The silver lining in the survey, though, is that manufacturers reported their first shortening of input lead times since the onset of COVID-19, a positive augury for businesses’ ability to scale up production quickly once demand revives. The onus is on policymakers to ensure that both monetary and fiscal action is focused on reining in inflation. Anything less risks affecting recovery.
5. Why is defection a non-issue for voters?
- Page 7.
- Constitution, Polity.
- The reason why a poor record on honesty and frequent switching of candidates from one political party to another (defection) hardly concerns Indian voters is simply that a very large section of the electorate chooses the party and not the candidate during elections. If merits and demerits of candidates had any bearing on voting considerations of Indian voters, many defectors and candidates with questionable records would not have made it to the Indian Parliament or the Assemblies of different States.
Daily Current Affairs for TNPSC Group Exams, Upsc Exams, SSC, RRB, BANK & All Government Exams
The Hindu – 04 July 2022
6. We need an urgent national plan on electrical safety
- Page 7.
- Govt Policies and Interventions, Governance.
- There has been significant growth in infrastructure, nearly all households have an electricity connection, amid promises of providing 24×7 electrical supply and achieving net zero emissions by 2070. While these are commendable, there are also many problems that the sector faces, electrical accidents being a tragic one. Understanding the problems and failures is essential for growth and success. As per the data from the National Crime Records Bureau, the number of fatalities and rate of deaths (per lakh population) due to electric shocks and fires has been steadily increasing over the years. The need of the hour is a national programme to reduce electrical accidents in the distribution sector, with clear scope of work, sufficient resource allocation and robust monitoring and verification mechanism.
7. Strains on India-Russia defence cooperation
- Page 8.
- IR, Defence and Technology.
- As the Russia Ukraine conflict stretches on with no clear endgame, there are apprehensions on Russia’s ability to adhere to the timelines for both spares and hardware. While some timeline lapses and shipping delays were possible, there would not be any dent on the Army’s operational preparedness along the borders especially the Line of Actual Control. Russian deals which have been deferred include the one for 21 MiG-29 fighter jets along with the upgradation of 59 existing Mig-29 jets and the manufacture of 12 SU-30 MKI aircraft.
8. The functioning of the National Investigation Agency
- Page 8.
- Govt Policies and Interventions, Linkages of Organised Crime with Terrorism.
- The NIA was constituted in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack in November 2008. The agency came into existence on December 31, 2008, and started its functioning in 2009. The NIA is a central agency which investigates all offences affecting the sovereignty, security and integrity of India, friendly relations with foreign states, and the offences under the statutory laws enacted to implement international treaties. The law under which the agency operates extends to the whole of India and also applies to Indian citizens outside the country.
9. Beyond male and female, the right to humanity
- Page 9.
- Fundamental Rights.
- The NLSA judgment is a hugely significant and potentially transformative decision. It affirms that there is no place in the Constitution for a hierarchy of superhumans, lesser humans and nonhumans. The Court held that nonrecognition of gender identity violates the rights to equality and life, and that transgendered persons should not be compelled to declare themselves as either male or female. The lack of recognition of their gender identity curtails their access to education and results in discrimination in the exercise of their right to vote and secure employment. An outstanding feature of the decision is that the judges accepted the broad definition of transgender as including persons whose gender identity, gender expression or behaviour did not conform to their biological sex, and more importantly, those who did not identify with the sex assigned to them at birth.
Daily Current Affairs for TNPSC Group Exams, Upsc Exams, SSC, RRB, BANK & All Government Exams
The Hindu – 04 July 2022
10. Indians can get ₹10 lakh from relatives abroad
- Page 10.
- Govt Policies and Interventions, NGOs.
- The Union Home Ministry has amended certain rules related to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), allowing Indians to receive up to ₹10 lakh in a year from relatives staying abroad without informing the authorities. The earlier limit was ₹1 lakh. If the amount exceeds it, the individuals will now have 90 days to inform the government, instead of 30 days earlier.
11. Targeting GI tag, Mayurbhanj’s superfood ‘ant chutney’ to find more tables
- Page 12.
- Food Security, Conservation.
- Weaver ants are popular among the people, mostly of the tribes, of Mayurbhanj district in Odisha for the dish made of them — the Kai chutney. In Odisha, scientists are now finetuning their research to make a presentation for the Geographical Indications (GI) registry of Kai chutney. Applied under food category, the GI tag will help develop a structured hygiene protocol in the preparation of Kai chutney for standard wider use. Geographical Indications labels enhance the reputation and value of local products and support local businesses. Weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina, are abundantly found in Mayurbhanj throughout the year.
Daily Current Affairs for TNPSC Group Exams, Upsc Exams, SSC, RRB, BANK & All Government Exams
The Hindu – 04 July 2022